DigimonPokemon Part 1: It's All In The Crests
by Caro N
Summary: So it's a lame title so sue me. TK accidentally opens a portal between the Pokemon and Real Worlds. Now as both worlds hang in the balance, both teams must work together to stop an evil from destroying them all. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 The Portal

It's All In The Crests  
  
Disclaimer: Okay this is my first fic so just bear with me. (Actually, it's the first story I've written in my life that I wanted to write) I don't own Digimon or Pokemon (nor will I ever) and most of the couples are made up but I do own Chloe Device (sorry, can't tell you who she is) and the two new crests are just made up. Review (if you want) and I'll shut up now. Oh wait, do not, I repeat do not, email me. (my reasons are personal)  
  
  
  
Chapter 1- The Portal  
  
" I bet I could beat you at sports."  
  
" So what! I know I'm much smarter than you are!"  
  
" Do you want to start something?"  
  
" You're doing that, not me!"  
  
" Quiet!" yelled Tai Kamiya. " Do I have to separate you two like a bunch of children?"  
  
Yolei Inoue and Davis Motimiya stopped arguing and turned to face Tai. If Tai hadn't stopped them, Yolei would have probably pulled Davis's trademark goggles from his spiky, brown hair and thrown them in the bushes. She pushed her round glasses back on her nose and frowned, " Sorry Tai."  
  
Tai shook his head. " Somehow I think this meeting was a big mistake."  
  
He glanced around at the members of the Digidestined. Together, they had risked their lives and the lives of their Digimon to save the world more than once. Yet, since they've stopped all the saving-the-world routine and settled back into their normal lives, they just couldn't get along as much. Tai ran a hand through his full brown hair in frustration. What was wrong with them lately?  
  
Sora Takenouchi, a pretty girl with orange hair who used to be Tai's girlfriend, glanced at him worriedly. " Are you okay Tai?" she asked.  
  
Tai sighed and shook his head. Everyone was present, or seemed to be present. The members included Matt Ishida (his best friend, currently dating Sora), Kari (his gentle 12-year-old sister), Sora, Yolei, Davis, Ken Ichijouji (the newest member), Cody Hida (the youngest and smallest member), Mimi Tachikawa (flown in from New York for a few days), Joe Kido (the doctor of the group), and Izzy Izumi (their computer expert). He had a feeling someone was missing, but he shrugged it off. " Anything weird happening?"  
  
" Gabumon e-mailed me and said the Digital World's doing fine. Told us not to worry," Matt replied.  
  
" Tai, do you think someone is missing?" asked Kari as she toyed with the digital camera she wore around her neck.  
  
Tai nodded and looked around the group again. Someone was missing all right. Who was it?  
  
* * *  
  
The computer wasn't working the way it usually did. Not that it always worked like a dream, but it was behaving strangely. The screen showed a map of Japan and all of the cities. A strange spiral was whirling around near Odaiba. What was it? It looked just a-" T.K.!" called a voice. " Didn't you have to meet your friends somewhere?"  
  
T.K. Takaishi jumped up from the computer. He forgot! Great! Now the rest of the team was probably annoyed with him. Just great! T.K. put his rounded white hat over his short blond hair and grabbed his backpack with his Digivice and D-terminal inside. After some thought, he grabbed Patamon and stuffed him in the backpack too. He left just enough of the zipper open for Patamon to breathe. " See you later!" he called to his mother as he zipped out the door.  
  
" Fill me in on anything interesting when you get back," Ms. Takaishi said.  
  
T.K. arrived at the park where his friends agreed to meet. He met up with eleven pairs of eyes. "Sorry I'm late," he muttered as he plopped down next to Kari.  
  
Tai raised his eyebrows. It wasn't like T.K. to be late. T.K. was usually always on time to everything. Being late was something new. "Where were you?" he asked incredulously.  
  
"I was checking my computer and I found something strange. I think we ought to check it out."  
  
Izzy looked at T.K. with interest. " OK. Let's check what you saw."  
  
T.K. worked at Izzy's computer for a while. The others soon became bored with watching and turned to more interesting matters. Sora and Matt talked under the shade of a big tree. Davis and Ken played soccer with an old soccer ball they found. Cody, Yolei, Mimi, and Joe played with the Digimon. Only Kari, Izzy, and Tai showed any interest with what T.K. was doing. Suddenly, the map fell on the screen. "I've got it!" T.K. murmured excitedly.  
  
Everyone gathered around the computer. T.K. nodded toward their hometown of Odaiba. "See that white spiral over there?" he pointed at the spot not far from the apartment building where he lived. "It looks just like a Digiport. I have a feeling it opened up not long ago."  
  
"You're right T.K.," Kari glanced at it. "What should we do?"  
  
"I suggest we go check it out," Ken answered for the first time in a while. "Maybe we can find it and close it up before wild Digimon start coming through."  
  
Everyone agreed to meet the next day and bring their sleeping bags and a change of clothing in case they didn't find the portal before evening. After the meeting broke up, they went their separate ways. Sora and Matt walked home together (Tai shook his head after them). Yolei, Cody, and Davis accompanied Ken to the train station. Mimi left for her hotel. Joe and Izzy went back to their buildings. Tai and Kari decided to follow T.K. to his apartment building.  
  
Kari glanced at T.K. every now and then. He didn't look as cheerful as usual. Instead, he seemed quiet and listless. T.K. must have known she was staring at him though because he looked over at her. Kari gulped and stared at the ground, blushing slightly. T.K. grinned at her and looked ahead again.  
  
After Kari and Tai went home, T.K. looked out from his balcony at the city below. He was just about to step inside when he saw a flash of light. He whirled around. "Huh?"  
  
Just across the street lay the beach. A small circle of white light flashed and glittered. T.K.'s eyes widened in shock. In a flash, it vanished.  
  
That was weird, T.K. thought. What could it be?  
  
* * *  
  
The next day, the members of the Digidestined met in the park again. Mimi shook out her long chestnut brown hair. "I brought two changes of clothes, just in case I wanted to change later." Mimi was very fashion conscience.  
  
Tai addressed the team. "I suggest we split up into groups of three and start looking for the portal right away. We'll meet on the beach in about an hour."  
  
Everyone scrambled into groups of three. Izzy, Cody, and Mimi were in one group, Sora, Yolei, and Joe were in another; Matt, Davis, and Ken were in the third group, and Tai, Kari, and T.K. made the last group. They all set off in different directions to find the "Digi"portal. They didn't know how long they were going to take.  
  
After searching for about an hour and a half, the Digidestined all met on the beach in front of T.K.'s building. They were tired and cranky. "Well that was a complete waste of time," Davis snapped ill-temperedly.  
  
"At least we got some exercise," Cody said trying to lighten the mood.  
  
T.K. sighed and shook his head. So much for his remarkable theory the day before. No one had seen anything unusual and he probably was just seeing things last night. Patamon started beeping like his D-3. "Stop that."  
  
"Stop what?" asked Patamon from his backpack.  
  
"Stop pretending you're a machine."  
  
"But I'm not doing anything."  
  
T.K. blinked. If that wasn't Patamon beeping, then what was it? He closed his hand over his D-3 and held it up. To his surprise, it started to glow and beams of light started flashing from it. The rest of the kids stopped talking and stared at it. "What's goin on?" asked Davis.  
  
Before anyone could answer, the ground started shaking. Showers of rock fell and exploded all around them. Kari screamed. Yolei and Mimi cried out. Cody grabbed Joe around the waist. Everyone else shouted and shrieked.  
  
T.K. was frozen in horror as a burst of white light rose out of the air and started swirling around in front of him. It was the portal. Its white light looked as thick as fog as it swirled around him. Before T.K. could utter a cry of alarm, the portal sucked him inside and vanished in a shower of sparks.  
  
The earthquake stopped. All of the kids looked around at the mass debris that littered the ground. A soft wind blew as if nothing had happened. "That was scary!" Mimi whimpered and the others didn't disagree.  
  
Tai let out a sigh of relief. Joe put his glasses back on. "Is everyone safe?"  
  
Kari's face was frozen in horror. Tai stared at her. "What's wrong?"  
  
Kari trembled. "That-that portal. It swallowed T.K. up and disappeared! What happened to him?"  
  
The others widened their eyes in disbelief as they franticly scanned the beach. There was no sign of T.K. "T.K.? T.K.!" they called. "Where are you? T.K.!"  
  
T.K. swirled around and around in a whirlpool. He wasn't sure where he was nor where he'd end up when the portal opened up again. One thing for sure: this was not a Digiport. As streaks of light shot past him, he closed his eyes and held Patamon tight. Everything went black. 


	2. Chapter 2 A Whole New World

Chapter 2-A Whole New World  
  
It was a beautiful day. The air was fresh and the sky was clear without a single cloud. Yet, the day seemed too pretty. Too much. Too boring for the likes of Ash Ketchum. He wanted a little more excitement. He lay back in the grass and stared at the blue sky. "I'm so bored!" he mumbled.  
  
Misty, his best friend, looked up from feeding her Pokemon, Togepi. "Ash, can't you just think positive for once. You've been moaning how bored you are all day!"  
  
Brock, a Pokemon breeder, looked up from brushing Vulpix, a foxtail Pokemon. "You've gotta do find something to do or you'll be more than a pain today."  
  
"Pikapi!" Ash's Pokemon Pikachu agreed. It was an adorable yellow mouse with long ears and a tail shaped like a lightning bolt.  
  
Ash was about to groan when he heard music coming from below him. He glanced down. There sat a beautiful girl with a flute called an ocarina to her lips. Her long dark hair flowed around her like water and the tune she played was haunting and pretty. Ash relaxed and watched Tracey Sketchit draw Pikachu. His drawing was very precise.  
  
The girl finished her song and Ash sighed. "You just saved me from boredom for at least 3 minutes Chloe."  
  
Chloe Device opened her eyes and grinned up at Ash. "What, you didn't like my song?"  
  
"It's not that Chloe, it's just that I'm so bored!"  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. She had been Ash's friend since they were little, even if she was about 3 years older than he was. She hadn't seen Ash in several years ever since she had disappeared from Pallet Town. Ash had been trying to ask her what had happened to her then, but she never said a word.  
  
They heard a strange noise not far away. Ash and Chloe turned at the sound. "Is someone destroying a building?"  
  
They saw a bright flash of light in the distance. Shocked, they immediately ran after it. "We'll be back in a sec!" Ash called to his friends.  
  
* * *  
  
T.K. heard a noise. He didn't trust himself to speak or open his eyes. He wasn't whirling around anymore so he must have landed somewhere. He heard voices and strained to hear what they were saying.  
  
"Be careful. We mustn't move him," said one voice. It was a boy's voice, a little rough but reassuring.  
  
"Who do you think he is?" asked the other voice. It belonged to a girl.  
  
T.K. opened his eyes. He had a huge headache and the figures looking at him were blurred. Soon they stopped whirling around and came sharply into focus.  
  
One was a boy about 10 or 11 years old. He wore a red and white cap over messy dark hair that matched his dark eyes in his tanned face. The boy was looking at him curiously.  
  
The other was a girl who looked about 14 or 15. She was very pretty with long dark hair held back by a golden headband. Her eyes were amazing: royal blue with light sapphire to give them sparkle. Her face looked kind.  
  
T.K. blinked. "Who are you?"  
  
The boy grinned. "My name's Ash Ketchum. Can you sit up?'  
  
T.K. nodded and drew himself to a sitting position. " And who are you?" he asked the girl.  
  
She smiled warmly. "I'm Chloe Device. What's your name?"  
  
"T.K." T.K. answered. "I'm T.K."  
  
At that moment, Misty, Brock, and Tracey ran towards them. "Ash! Chloe! What happened?" they asked.  
  
Ash and Chloe gestured to T.K. and a sleeping Patamon. T.K. looked up. "Where am I anyway?"  
  
"You're near Pallet Town."  
  
"No. I mean what world am I in."  
  
"The Pokemon World," Chloe replied.  
  
* * *  
  
The Digidestined met up in Izzy's apartment. Izzy and Ken were scanning every area on the map of Japan. There was no sign of the portal anywhere. "Where is it now?" Davis wondered aloud.  
  
No one felt like answering. Matt and Cody were depressed. Tai was trying to make forced conversation with Matt, but was having negative results. Sora, Mimi, and Yolei stared blankly at the wall. Joe kept asking if anyone needed any medicine for depression. Kari was so miserable; she barely said two words since they had arrived at Izzy's.  
  
"We just have to keep looking for him. He just has to be somewhere out there…" Tai's voice trailed off.  
  
Kari blinked her eyes rapidly. Davis heaved a sigh, "Aw man, this is just great! First that stupid portal appeared, then T.J. disappeared, and now everyone's upset!"  
  
Kari glared at him. "For the last time his name is T.K.!"  
  
"OK, OK!"  
  
Kari stood up with a determined look on her face. The others looked up, surprised. "I think we should start searching for him right now instead of staying here wasting our time. If one of us was missing, T.K. would be searching for that person too don't you think?"  
  
Tai nodded and stood up. "Let's go find him!"  
  
* * *  
  
T.K. wished he had eight more eyes like a spider. The world around him was so different from his own. Everything seemed to burst with color: the sky, the houses, even the grass. All around him were different types of people; different from the ones he was used to. Some carried small red and white balls on their belts. Poke balls, Ash called them. Surrounding this world were the most amazing creatures he had ever seen. Well, aside from Digimon of course. "Are these Pokemon?" he asked.  
  
Ash nodded. "Pretty cool huh?"  
  
Misty and Chloe walked a little way behind the boys. Misty eyed T.K. "You know?" she whispered to Chloe with her hand cupped around her mouth. "That kid's kind of cute."  
  
Chloe rolled her eyes. "I hate to break it to you but he's a little young for you. But of course, you do seem to have a thing for younger men, don't you Misty?"  
  
She nodded in Ash's direction. Misty turned bright red and stammered, "What do you mean? You-you're crazy! Never in a million years!"  
  
"Uh huh. Sure."  
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
Chloe ignored her and focused her attention on Patamon and Pikachu. It looked as if they might have gotten off to a rocky start, but they were the best of friends now. Patamon seemed to understand every word Pikachu was saying even if no one else really could. Chloe smiled at them, but inside she was thinking. Or rather, she was sensing something. The arrival of T.K. came as a shock. He wasn't from the Pokemon World that was for sure. He said he was from the Real World and Patamon was from the Digital World. What could they have meant? In addition, T.K. had mentioned something else too. Something about his friends. Where were they? Were they coming here too?  
  
What Chloe didn't know was that her questions just might be answered very soon.  
  
* * *  
  
The sun was starting to set over the ocean by the time the Digidestined reached the place where all of the trouble started. Izzy opened his laptop and looked around. "This is the place all right. Now all we need to do is find the portal."  
  
Kari held up her D-3. "Somehow, T.K. managed to open the portal by activating his Digivice. But how?"  
  
The words had barely left her mouth when a strong wind blew and her D- 3 started to glow just like T.K.'s. Instantly, the other kids held their Digivices up too. The showers of rock began, but this time they barely noticed. Their eyes were riveted on the gigantic white spiral in front of them. "I'm going in there!" called Kari and before they could stop her, she ran in. "I'm coming T.K.! Just hang on!"  
  
"Kari!" yelled Tai and he ran in after his sister.  
  
This was too much for Matt. First his brother, then his best friend's sister, and now his best friend. "Hang on you guys!" he called as he ran in.  
  
As if on cue, the other Digidestined ran inside and vanished in a flash of light.  
  
* * *  
  
Tai groaned and shifted his position on the rocky ground. Ground? Did that mean they were no longer in the portal? He sat up to find his friends lying unconscious on the ground. "Hey guys! Wake up!"  
  
Sora drew herself to a sitting position. "I feel as if I were traveling for miles and just fainted from exhaustion."  
  
"I think fatigue would be a better word for that," said Izzy.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Matt looked at everyone else. "At least we're all safe."  
  
Kari had already gotten to her feet and was reading the sign she had landed in front of. "Welcome to Pallet Town. What a weird name."  
  
The rest of the kids got slowly to their feet. They could not believe what they were seeing. A small but beautiful town stretched before them. It had rolling green fields and colorful buildings. The ocean stretched like a sparkling jewel on the other side of the town.  
  
Walking through Pallet Town, the Digidestined took in the scenery and the different creatures that inhabited the land. There were large rats and overgrown bugs. Birds flew overhead, larger than the birds they were used to. At one point, they came upon a star-shaped figure with a jewel in the center. "Wow!" gasped Mimi. "That's so beautiful!"  
  
"Let's get a closer look," Matt suggested.  
  
They gathered around it and were just about to examine it when they heard a loud angry voice cry out, "Keep your hands off my Staryu you thieves!"  
  
They turned to face a fiery redhead glaring at them. Behind her were a boy who looked about 16 with a bronze face and slanted eyes and a boy with a red band tied around his hair. "What did you think you were doing?"  
  
"Nothing! Honest!" said Davis, stepping to the front. "We're sorry if we've disturbed anything of yours miss."  
  
"The name is Misty!" the girl snapped. "And these are my friends, Brock and Tracey."  
  
"Misty? That's a pretty name," remarked Matt.  
  
Misty blushed. "You really think so?"  
  
Matt nodded. Tai glanced at him, his eyes filled with question marks.  
  
"Well I'm sorry I yelled. I just got a little paranoid that's all," said Misty, smiling.  
  
Just then, two kids, a boy and a girl, joined them. It was Ash and Chloe. "Hey Misty. Is something wrong?"  
  
"No. I just met some very interesting people," Misty replied.  
  
Ash and Chloe turned to stare at the Digidestined. They didn't look like they were from around here. Still, Ash smiled. "I'm Ash. Nice to meet you."  
  
Chloe smiled as well. "I'm Chloe. What are your names?"  
  
The boys could only stare. Well, Cody and Izzy were staring at Pikachu in fascination. The others barely noticed Pikachu. Kari smiled back at Chloe. "I'm Kari and these are my friends, the Digidestined. This is my brother Tai. Say hello Tai."  
  
Tai nodded absently. He knew he shouldn't be rude, but Chloe was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Unfortunately, he could see that the other boys thought so too. Hey, wait a minute! He wasn't supposed to feel this way. I mean, Chloe was pretty all right but so were plenty of other girls he had met. Why did he feel so different with her? Tai snapped out of it. "Hi." (Hi? Was that all he could say?) "I'd like you to meet the members of the Digidestined. Meet Sora, Matt, Izzy, Joe, Cody, Davis, Yolei, Mimi, and Ken."  
  
"Hi!" everyone said cheerfully.  
  
"I hate to ask, but have you seen a boy?" We're looking for one," Kari explained. "He's got blond hair and always wears a white hat and he has a Patamon with him."  
  
Chloe and Ash's eyes widened. "Is his name T.K.?"  
  
Kari nodded, her eyes filled with hope. "Have you found him?" 


	3. Chapter 3 Psychic Power

Chapter 3- Psychic Power  
  
Chloe and Ash led the Digidestined to a small laboratory run by the infamous Professor Samuel Oak. On the way, Ash pointed out Pokemon, sometimes pulling out his Pokedex, Dexter, to name them. Misty was holding Brock by the collar, just in case he suddenly went haywire for pretty girls such as Mimi, Sora, and even Kari. Tracey was staring at the Digimon in amazement, pulling out his sketchpad and drawing a few before they even reached the place. "Professor Oak should be home," said Ash as they stood in the lobby. "Professor! Professor!"  
  
Professor Oak soon appeared. "Ah, I have plenty of visitors today."  
  
Something peeped out behind the professor's back. It was silent for a moment and then let out a happy shriek. "Agumon! Gatomon! Hey you guys!"  
  
It was Patamon. All of the Digimon ran to him. "It's great to see you again. How've you been buddy?"  
  
Everyone smiled to see Patamon again, but Kari's eyes drifted toward a person just walking into of the room. A very familiar person too. "T.K.?" she asked. "Is that you?"  
  
T.K. turned around and his face split into a huge grin. "Guys!"  
  
The Digidestined ran to him and started giving him high-fives, claps on the back, and cheers. The Pokemon team stared at them with puzzled looks.  
  
"We were so worried about you!" cried Mimi.  
  
"I was afraid I'd never see you again," Kari whispered softly so no one but T.K. could hear.  
  
T.K. smiled softly at her. "Don't worry Kari. I won't try to scare you guys like that ever again."  
  
The Pokemon team suddenly whirled around. A huge crash could be heard from outside. "What was that?" asked Tracey.  
  
Everyone ran outside to discover Team Rocket standing outside in Professor Oak's yard. They were sucking up all of the Pokemon with a giant titanium armored Meowth. The kids and Professor Oak watched in horror as they sucked up Tauros, Tentacools, and Doduos. "Who are they?" asked Cody.  
  
Team Rocket grinned maliciously and began to chant their motto:  
  
Prepare for Trouble  
  
And make it Double  
  
To protect the world from devastation  
  
To unite all peoples within our nation  
  
To denounce the evils of truth and love  
  
To extend our reach to the stars above  
  
Jessie, James  
  
Team Rocket blast off at the speed of light  
  
Surrender now or prepare to fight!  
  
Meowth that's right!  
  
Ash glared at them. "We don't have time to play with you Three Stooges!"  
  
Jessie glared back. "Just make things easy for once twerp and hand over your Pokemon."  
  
"Never!" Ash yelled.  
  
Suddenly, Jessie spotted the Digimon. She had never seen Pokemon that looked like that. They must be very rare. Quickly, she activated the mechanical Meowth and sucked them up as well. The Digidestined looked up in shock. "Hey, they don't belong to you!" yelled Davis angrily.  
  
"Well they're ours now," James snapped back. "So you might as well bid your farewells."  
  
"Let em go!" Tai shouted.  
  
Team Rocket refused and they started to stomp away from the lab when they heard a voice cry out, "Hold it!"  
  
Jessie, James, and Meowth turned to see Chloe standing in front of them, blocking their way. "If you don't want to be squashed, you better get out of the way!"  
  
Chloe's blue eyes turned icy. "Let them go or face the consequences."  
  
Team Rocket laughed. "Try and make us!"  
  
The rest of the kids, except for Ash, watched in horror as the giant Meowth raised its foot to stomp on her. Ash was nodding his head knowingly.  
  
Chloe raised her eyes up at the Meowth and they began to glow a bright blue. Blue light was surrounding her but her eyes were focused on the Meowth. She raised her arms. "STOP!" she yelled.  
  
Instantly, the Meowth was surrounded with the blue light and it froze into position. Team Rocket looked bewildered. "What's going on?"  
  
Using her psychic energy, Chloe started to crush the Moewth with her eyes focusing intently on it. Jessie and James screamed. "Let's get off this thing!"  
  
They jumped off and started to run away, but Ash turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"  
  
Pikachu jumped into the air. "PIKACHU!" it shouted and electrical lightning bolts shot out of its body and shocked Team Rocket.  
  
Chloe drew out a large yellow Pokeball called an Ultra Ball. She threw it. "Dragonite, I choose you!"  
  
A large flying dragon-like creature with small wings appeared. Chloe nodded at it. "Go and rescue the Digimon and Pokemon!"  
  
The creature obeyed and grabbed the net containing the Digimon and Pokemon. "Now, use Hyper Beam on the Meowth robot!"  
  
Dragonite opened its mouth and a glowing orange beam shot out of its mouth and blew up the giant mechanical Meowth. Team Rocket was accidentally caught in the blast.  
  
"Looks like we're blasting off again!" they shouted as they shot up into the air until all that was left was a twinkle.  
  
Chloe turned to the net and using her psychic power, broke it. The Digimon and Pokemon were free. Happily, they ran back to where they were supposed to be.  
  
The rest of the kids gathered around Chloe. "That was amazing! No really it was! How did you do that! Thanks for rescuing our Digimon!"  
  
Chloe started to smile, but then her smile faded and she started to keel over. Ash grabbed her and helped her steady herself. "What's wrong?" asked Kari.  
  
"You've probably figured out that Chloe has psychic powers," Ash explained. "She's not an expert at using them yet so when she uses them too much her energy diminishes. She has to wait until she gets her strength back to use them again."  
  
T.K. looked curious. "How did she get psychic powers anyway?"  
  
Ash shook his head. "She won't tell me. It has something to do with the fact that she disappeared from Pallet Town 7 years ago. No one knows except my mom and she won't tell anyone either. I have been trying to pry the secret out of them, but they're more stubborn than I am. It's better not to ask."  
  
T.K. nodded but he was still mystified.  
  
Ash glanced at the sky. "It's getting late. Why don't you spend the night here in the lab? I'd have you over at my house, but there's not a lot of room."  
  
Chloe stood up. "Guess I better get going. See you in the morning."  
  
Everyone brushed off and said goodnight.  
  
* * *  
  
While the Digidestined made themselves comfortable in the place where they would spend the night, something was at work. The portal they had gone through was no ordinary portal. In fact, it had disturbed the balance of power and triggered a sequence of events. A powerful source of energy coming from the portal stirred the darkness. The evil Digimon they had destroyed long ago were slowly filling up with energy. The stronger ones started to move. They started to come back to life. For one thing only: total destruction.  
  
That night, T.K. sensed growing power. He didn't know what it was so he tried to forget it. Little did he know that the adventures were just beginning. 


	4. Chapter 4 Trust

Chapter 4- Trust  
  
T.K. knew he probably hadn't been sleeping more than five minutes when he heard a strange noise coming from outside. Sitting up, he walked out to investigate. Standing there, near the water's edge, was Chloe. She was playing a soft soothing melody on her ocarina. T.K. stood there and listened to her play for a while. When she finished, she stood, staring at the deep blue ocean. "So," she whispered without turning her head. "You couldn't sleep?"  
  
T.K. jumped in surprise. "How did you…?"  
  
"Know you were here?" Chloe finished for him. "You weren't really quiet when coming down here T.K."  
  
T.K. stared at her curiously for a minute and then he spoke. "What was that song you were playing? It was pretty."  
  
"It was a song that a girl named Melody taught me," Chloe replied. "It's called 'Lugia's Song.' (A: Sound familiar?) There's a prophecy that goes with this song but it has already been fulfilled. Try to remember this song. It could prove some worth to you later."  
  
T.K. wondered if she would say anymore but she didn't. Slowly, he turned around and headed back towards the lab. When he glanced back, she was gone.  
  
The next day, Professor Oak woke the Digidestined to tell them that the portal they had come through had returned and they had better hurry if they wanted to get home. Everyone got up and gathered their belongings together. Soon, they were standing on the banks of the ocean outside Pallet Town, where they had landed. After some urging, the Pokemon trainers were allowed to go along with them, promising to come back soon. "I'll be waiting right here for you Ash! Make sure to change your you-know-what every day," called Mrs. Ketchum. "See you soon!"  
  
Together, they all stood in front of the portal and vanished into the light.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Patamon! Let go of my hat!"  
  
"Hey Pikachu! Where are you?"  
  
"Stop! That's my Togepi!"  
  
"This is so messed up."  
  
After some minor landing problems, the kids managed to get to their feet and look around. "We're home all right," muttered Tai with a sigh.  
  
Soon came the difficult process of where the Pokemon trainers should stay. After a lot of arguments, Ash decided to stay with T.K., Misty decided to go with Sora, Brock and Tracey decided to check out in the hotel, and Chloe decided to stay with Kari and Tai. After they had moved in, the Digidestined took the trainers on a tour of the city.  
  
Tai had not been thinking straight lately. He was very surprised when Chloe had chosen to stay with him and Kari although she would be sleeping in Kari's room. Chloe hadn't said anything to him ever since yesterday except "Hi." He did notice that she was talking to T.K. a lot though. They always seemed to get along really well and smiled at each other whenever there was a chance. For some reason, this bothered him.  
  
Oh well, he had to shake the feeling off. He wasn't so sure about the Pokemon team anyway. They were all secretive, but Chloe looked like she was hiding something. He didn't know why but only T.K. seemed to really understand them. Probably because he knew them better.  
  
Kari and T.K. sat alone in the park. Everyone else was off somewhere, doing something. Tai was teaching Ken and Davis some new soccer moves, Sora and Matt were introducing Misty and Brock to other people, Yolei and Cody were helping out at Yolei's parents' store, and Tracey was helping Izzy and Joe learn more about Pokemon. Ash and Chloe were exploring but they didn't tell anyone where.  
  
Kari looked up at T.K. He seemed a lot more cheerful now that the mystery of the portal had been solved. Kari thought this was a good time to ask him a question.  
  
"Um…T.K.?"  
  
"Yeah?" T.K.'s blue eyes met her mahogany ones.  
  
"Well…I was wondering how you feel about the Pokemon trainers."  
  
"I think they're really great friends, don't you?"  
  
Kari nodded absently. T.K. noticed she looked uncomfortable. "What's wrong Kari?"  
  
"I don't know about them T.K. There's just something about them that I can't put a finger on. Something not right. They all act really quiet and secretive around us and yet when they are together, they laugh, chat, and have such a great time. Especially Ash and Chloe. I just don't know."  
  
T.K.'s eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"  
  
Kari averted his eyes. She didn't like the look he was giving her at all. "I'm saying that I don't think they're really trustworthy."  
  
Silence.  
  
Kari turned to look at T.K. She noticed he was stiff and he wasn't smiling anymore. "T.K.? What is it?"  
  
T.K. shook his head and stood up. "It's nothing." He turned to look at her. "I don't care what you think Kari. You may not trust them, but I bet it's because you don't know them yet. You don't understand them. Is that the reason?"  
  
Kari stood up as well. "It's not that T.K. It's just that you don't know what they're capable of. You don't know what they might do. We have one Digimon for each of us but them can have up to hundreds of Pokemon—as many as they want. And those Pokemon obey and respect them. With that kind of power, those kids could do almost anything. Don't you understand?"  
  
T.K. shook his head again. "I don't think we became friends just so they could do something sinister. I know they wouldn't do anything like that to us. They don't want to hurt us."  
  
"Lately, Chloe and Ash haven't been all that friendly. They've been wandering around on their own, talking about 'something strange that's going to happen'. I don't think that's trustworthy," Kari answered him.  
  
"I still don't think they're not trustworthy."  
  
"You don't know that T.K. I just don't want you to—"  
  
"You may not trust them, the others may not trust them, but I do. And I wish you would stop trying to convince me that they are evil and shouldn't be my friends. You don't rule my life Kari! Just leave me alone and let me control my own decisions. Got it?"  
  
Kari backed away with a hurt look on her face. "I just thought…"  
  
"Be quiet Kari. Just…leave me alone okay!" T.K. ran away.  
  
Kari stood there staring at the spot where T.K. had stood. She had never felt so hurt before. What was wrong with T.K.? He wasn't acting like himself. She wanted to run after him and explain everything, apologize, and even tell him how she really felt about him but she had a feeling he wouldn't listen. At least not in the state he was in right now. Covering her face in her hands, she ran back to her apartment, ignoring the tears that filled her eyes and spilled over.  
  
T.K. kept running until he reached the school. School had been out for a while now but the gate was kept open in case anyone wanted to use the soccer field. T.K. ran on until he reached a small tree in the corner of the field. Dropping down beside it, he waited until his breathing returned to normal. Then he stared at the ground, depressed. He could not believe what he had just said to Kari. He couldn't get that hurt look she had on her face out of his mind. Did he really mean to say those things to Kari? Why did he feel so miserable and full of anger at her? Could it be because he was afraid that what she said might be true? Were Ash and the others really sinister or were they friends?  
  
So many questions ran through T.K.'s head and he didn't know how to answer them. All he could do was sit and remember.  
  
* * *  
  
Tai came and found Kari on her bed crying. His eyes widened. "Kari! What's wrong?"  
  
Kari shook her head. "It's nothing Tai. Just forget it." She sat up and brushed her tears away. "I just had a bad argument with T.K. That's all."  
  
Tai's eyes widened even further. "T.K.? How could you have an argument with him. You guys are the best of friends."  
  
"I thought so too," Kari murmured sadly.  
  
"What did you two argue about anyway?" Tai asked.  
  
"The Pokemon trainers, that's what. I don't really trust them. They just seem too strange. What do you think Tai?"  
  
Tai shook his head and gazed out the window. "I don't know sis. I just don't know."  
  
Chloe and Ash soon popped their heads in. "Hi you guys! What's up?"  
  
Kari smiled shakily. "Oh nothing. How was the city?"  
  
"Not too bad, except Pikachu panicked when he saw a cat and almost used his Thunderbolt on it," Ash replied brightly.  
  
"That's great," said Tai half-heartedly although he was thinking, "Were you tempted to let Pikachu use his Thunderbolt? Would you have cared?"  
  
Ash looked at Tai curiously. "Hey, are you feeling okay?"  
  
Tai nodded. Chloe smiled. "That's a relief."  
  
That night, Tai woke up to a noise he could hear outside his window. He stumbled to it and looked out. He could see Chloe and Ash standing outside, finishing up a Pokemon battle. They tied, three on three. As Tai watched them, he could hear what they were saying. "I'm getting stronger and stronger aren't I Chloe?" Ash asked.  
  
"Of course you are Ash," Chloe answered back. "I'm glad you are. You'll be able to prove yourself after all."  
  
Prove himself for what? Tai wondered. "I miss it back home," Ash muttered to himself. "It's too different here. People keep staring at me as if I'm weird and they don't like Pikachu. He's almost shocked people at least 5 times."  
  
"Ash just deal with it. After all, we have a purpose her remember? We have to find out what we're up against."  
  
"What about the Digidestined? They don't seem to like us much Chloe. Except for T.K., they all seem suspicious of us like they think we're going to sprout fangs or something."  
  
"I don't want to them to figure out anything about what's happening. They might not understand, especially T.K. You and I will tell him what's wrong when the time is right."  
  
Tai's face lit up in shock. They didn't sound very trustworthy to him. What were they doing that was so secret? Why was Ash training himself? And what were they planning to do to T.K.? Whatever it was, it didn't sound good.  
  
The next day, Chloe and Ash found T.K. he was just standing near the road kicking a small pebble. "Hi T.K. Can we talk to you?"  
  
"Sure," T.K. replied in a dull, flat voice.  
  
Chloe eyed him with concern. "T.K.? Are you okay? You don't look so good."  
  
T.K. decided that the argument with Kari was too personal to discuss so he shook his head to show that he was fine. Chloe sensed he wasn't very chatty today so she turned around and walked off in the opposite direction. "Actually, we'll talk to you later okay?" She and Ash hurried off.  
  
T.K. heaved a sigh and looked up, only to discover Tai standing there. "oh hi Tai."  
  
"T.K., I need to talk to you about Kari. I know you two sort of had a fight yesterday. I just what to see if I can help in any way."  
  
"What do you want anyway Tai. Are you here to lecture to me because I didn't exchange some kind words with your sister?"  
  
Tai stared at T.K. he suddenly the boy was that small, sweet, and good-natured eight-year-old that he used to be. It was always easy to talk to him since he never tried to argue or make anyone angry. T.K. just wasn't like that anymore. He was taller (almost as tall as his brother), still good-natured, but when he was angry, he either held it in and it somehow exploded eventually or he acted sarcastic. The way he was acting now was not a good sign. "Kari as really hurt when you said that to her you know. She was in tears when I found her at home yesterday. What came over you T.K.?"  
  
T.K.'s icy blue eyes turned icier. "Look Kamiya I know you probably don't trust the Pokemon trainers either. Maybe nobody but me does. What's wrong with them huh? What do you have against them? And I have to admit, it's pretty dumb to be suspicious of someone you have a crush on."  
  
Tai blinked rapidly. "Huh?"  
  
"O-oh, surprised? Come on Tai, you don't think you can hide the fact that you really like Chloe and I won't notice. I can tell by the way you looked at her when you people first met that you did. I also noticed you looking pained whenever I talk to her or smile at her. I bet you're jealous."  
  
"Me, jealous? I am not jealous. And I don't like her okay?"  
  
"Yeah sure."  
  
"I mean it. I just don't trust her, especially since she has psychic powers and no one, not even Ash, has a clue about her past. You still think she's trustworthy?"  
  
T.K. frowned. "I don't know about you Tai but I'm their friend and I trust them even if you and Kari don't. You can tell Kari I'm sorry for what I said and for the argument but you two are not going to change my mind about them. The only ones who can are the trainers themselves." With that, T.K. walked away.  
  
"T.K., wait!" called Tai.  
  
T.K. turned around and for a minute it seemed as if he softened a bit. Then the memory of yesterday came back and he gave Tai a cold look before walking away again.  
  
Tai let out a huge sigh. What was wrong with T.K.? Ever since he had met the Pokemon trainers, he hadn't seemed like himself. He was growing more distant and he got angry often. Did those Pokemon trainers put a spell on him or something? Did Ash; or Chloe?  
  
Tai felt a twang of guilt go through him when he thought that Chloe might have done something wrong. Hey, why was he thinking this way? He knew T.K. could already sense his feelings about Chloe but he wasn't even sure how he felt about her. What was it about her that made people like her? Why was she so special?  
  
Just then, Misty came around the corner with Sora. They both smiled at him. "Sorry to bother you Tai, but I'm looking for Ash. Have you seen him?" asked Misty.  
  
Tai nodded. "Uh huh. He just left a little while ago. I think he went that way."  
  
"Thanks." Misty hurried off.  
  
Sora noticed Tai's depressed look. "What's wrong Tai?"  
  
"Everything."  
  
Sora placed her hand on his shoulder. "Let's talk about it. Maybe I can help."  
  
Tai gave her a grateful look and agreed. Even though he and Sora were no longer boyfriend and girlfriend, they remained close. In face, they now viewed each other as family and were willing to help each other out with their problems. Tai told Sora what was on his mind: The Pokemon team, Kari and the argument, Ash training, Chloe's secret, and T.K. For obvious reasons, Tai didn't mention about T.K. suspecting he had feelings for Chloe. It seemed too personal to discuss and he wasn't sure how Sora would take it. Sora listened and didn't interrupt. Finally, Tai finished. "How is Misty?" he asked. "Is she behaving strangely or anything?"  
  
Sora gave him a strange look. "Funny you should ask. She never tells me about her day. She always wanders out of the house and makes herself scarce. And Mimi told me that Brock and Tracey sometimes never come back tot the hotel until just before midnight."  
  
"Weird," Tai muttered.  
  
Sora blinked. "You told me they said they had a purpose. What is their purpose and what does it have to do with us?"  
  
Tai shook his head. "I don't know. A lot of things don't make sense right now and those trainers are some of the biggest. We'll have to find out though, sooner or later."  
  
Sora looked at the sky. "It's getting late. I'd better head home."  
  
Tai watched her go before calling out, "Hey Sora!"  
  
She looked back. "What?"  
  
He smiled at her. "Thanks."  
  
Sora smiled back. "What are friends for?"  
  
* * *  
  
Chloe and Misty stood on the beach, staring at the water. Chloe looked at Misty. "I think it's time I told you all about my past. I know I've been very shady to all of you, but it's just that the past is too painful to remember."  
  
Misty placed a hand on Chloe's shoulder reassuringly. "You don't have to if you don't want to you know."  
  
Chloe bit her lip. "It's better to let it out. I don't want to lie to any of you. You are my friends and friends should be truthful with one another. You can go and tell Ash and the others. I'll tell Kari and Tai."  
  
Misty nodded. "Don't worry. I'm sure it has nothing to do with what we're doing here now." With that, she ran off to tell the others.  
  
Chloe stared at the ocean again. "Yes it does. I'm sure I'm supposed to tell them at this exact time. I can sense I'm telling for a reason. I'm just not sure what reason."  
  
*Yeah, finally! Okay, the next chapter shouldn't be very long and it shouldn't take very long to post. I'll try to squeeze in as much of my time as I can. Oh yeah, T.K. is once again, not mean. He's just confused. Next chapter should tell about how Chloe came to be what she is. In the meantime, I'm off.*


	5. Chapter 5 Secrets and Crests Revealed

Chapter 5- Secrets and Crests Revealed   
  
Chloe found Tai and Kari in Kari's room talking. They stopped when Chloe came in. "Guys, I need to talk to you."  
  
Kari glanced at her coolly. "Oh really? What is it?"  
  
Chloe looked nervous. "I need to talk to all of you. That includes the other Digidestined too."  
  
Tai looked at her suspiciously. "Why can't you tell us first?"  
  
"It'd be a lot easier if all of you heard it at the same time." Chloe looked at them tensely. "Please meet me at the park okay?" She left the room.  
  
Kari and Tai stared after her and then looked at each other. What does she want? They both wondered.  
  
* * *  
  
The Digidestined all met up at the park. The Pokemon trainers were already there. "Okay, what's all this about?" asked Matt aloud as they sat down.  
  
Chloe sat on a smooth boulder. She looked pained. "It's time I told you about my past. I just don't want to hold this secret inside me any longer." Ash looked at her, wide-eyed.  
  
"Like Ash told you, my psychic powers have some connection with what happened to me 7 years ago in Pallet Town. I was about seven years old then. Ash was four. He and I were great friends. Our age gap didn't matter at all to us. We had a lot in common and Ash's mother was like a second mother to me. We both dreamed of becoming Pokemon trainers someday and competing in the Pokemon League."  
  
As Chloe told her story, the other kids listened intently. They could see images in their heads as she went on. "I didn't look like the way I do now. My hair was long and sometimes messy and I always wore flower crowns in my hair. I was small for my age. And I loved to run. Ash and I would run every day to watch the trainers go off on their journeys or find wild Pokemon to see. I was happy and content with what I had. Then one day, my whole life changed forever."  
  
"I was visiting Ash at nighttime for my mother. She needed some recipes from Mrs. Ketchum. I don't know why she couldn't have visited herself, but I was happy to have the job. I loved going to Ash's house. Anyway, I walked over to his house and was just about to ring the bell, when I heard something. Voices talking in the dark. Being a curious person, I decided to check it out. I regret that now.  
  
You see, no one had ever told me about the Rockets. They were around even then. Of course, they consisted of Rocket Grunts and scientists. They didn't care about who they hurt or what the cost was so long as they got the job done. I overheard then talking about robbing Professor Oak's lab. I couldn't bear it if they hurt the Pokemon so I guess I just sort of lost my head and ran out from where I was hiding. They were shocked to see me at first and then they thought well what could I do; I was just a little kid. At that, I ran over to them and kicked them as hard as I could. That did it."  
  
"They grabbed me and knocked me out. I don't remember much after that except that I woke up later in a dark room. A light shone in my eyes. I heard one scientist say that I could be useful in their latest experiment. I better cooperate unless I wanted to be disposed of."  
  
"They started to do experiments on me. I couldn't do anything. They took research, drew blood, examined my pulse and vision. Once they finished, they started analyzing my DNA. I learned that they were going to see if they could transport the energy from psychic trainers and Pokemon into my own DNA and energy and be used for the Rockets' purposes. I was given injections at least once a week. They made me test my vision on objects to see if I could move them, lift them, only with my eyes. They made me practice teleporting many times a day before I could rest for the night. You're probably wondering why I didn't teleport myself out of there. I was too afraid of them and besides I was too weak.  
  
It was painful undergoing those tests and processes. I was taunted and teased when I couldn't do anything Every time I was given an injection, I felt either fire or ice going through my veins and my head hurt so badly I could never stand up straight. They didn't care if I was hurt, just as long as they didn't kill me. They could not conduct the experiments if I was dead. I was nothing but a specimen to them. That's all I was."  
  
"One day, I couldn't stand the torture and the torment anymore. I was tired of being poked, injected, and hurt almost every day. I didn't know that my powers had been growing; growing stronger and stronger every day for two years. They yelled at me when I refused to lift a boulder and throw it at a Tauros. I was smacked and was told I would be thrown in the basement of the lab until I cooperated. Finally, I exploded in a rage and my psychic powers let loose—and I blew up the building. When the fire and smoke cleared, I realized I was the only survivor.  
  
I couldn't believe what I'd done. I was only nine then and I had killed about 15 people in my rage. They deserved to be put in jail, not destroyed by me. Even though they were evil, I knew even they didn't deserve being blasted into oblivion. I was scared; not of the police or anyone who saw. I was scared of myself and what I had become."  
  
As Chloe went on, she quivered as if just letting everything out was too painful for her to bear. Misty reached for her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I never wanted to hurt anyone anymore. I had changed, even my features. Once I got a look at myself, I almost screamed. My skin color had turned from normal peach to this luminous white color. My hair had grown and cascaded to above my waist. And my eyes had changed from black to this strange combination of blues so they looked different from anyone else's. I was afraid of this change and everyone who knew me was in danger if they got me angry."  
  
Ken studied her. "What about your parents? Didn't you find them and tell them everything?"  
  
Chloe shook her head. "I would have if I could. After I escaped from the broken pieces that was the lab, I headed for home. When I reached it, I found it empty and neglected. I asked someone about the house and about my parents. He said that the house had been empty for a while now and it was going to be demolished. The couple, known as the Devices, had owned the house until they had died so suddenly. It seemed that they had an only child, Chloe, and she disappeared one day and never returned. Mrs. Device, my mother, was so heartbroken; she passed away soon after that. My father died out of loneliness. No one wanted to buy the house after all that because it was rumored to be cursed."  
  
Mimi gasped. "You're alone in the world?"  
  
"I would be if it weren't for Ash and his mother. I changed my name and my identity and I lived alone for the next five years of my life. I was allowed a Pokemon license when I was ten and I started training. I soon realized that I couldn't keep my powers away forever. I had to deal with them, whether I liked it or not. I learned to control them and use them anytime I wanted. Of course, I was still a rookie and my energy started diminishing every time I used them.  
  
I met Ash's mother again when I was visiting Pallet Town again. She recognized me instantly despite how much I had changed. I confided in her the secret I carried alone for 7 years. She invited me to stay with her. Ash and I had a happy reunion when we saw each other again. I've been living there ever since."  
  
Chloe finished her story and stared at the ground. "I can tell that you're' all thinking this secret shouldn't have been kept and it isn't really bad at all. Well you didn't go through the torture and the pain. You didn't live as an outcast and afraid of yourself for holding a guilty secret. You didn't live alone with no one to care about you for half of your lives. There was just no other way."  
  
Everyone was silent as they absorbed what she said. Then Kari walked over to her and placed an arm around Chloe's shaking shoulders. "I'm sorry, I never knew you felt so much sorrow inside. I used to feel the same thing in my heart. Then I found out my friends cared about me and I wouldn't have to fight it alone. You just need to give it time. Don't worry."  
  
For a while no one knew what to do next. Yolei stood up. "C'mon everybody, let's get out of here and out in the open."  
  
They agreed and started to walk out of the park when they saw streaks of light hurtling past them. "Huh?"  
  
The balls of light slammed into the ground, revealing the rocky earth and stone floor. Carved on top of the stone were two symbols. One looked like a Pokeball with another line down the middle of it and another circle surrounding it. The other looked like a galaxy with a star on the four corners. The kids stared at them. "What are those?"  
  
Ash and Chloe walked toward them. A light shone from the stone floor and swirled around them. Their Pokeballs began to react to the light. The stone floor disappeared and two crests hovered above its place. The Digidestined stared in amazement. "Who're those for?"  
  
Two long slender chains rose from the ground and wound gently around Ash and Chloe's necks. The crests fitted into the chains' tags. TK gaped in surprise. "How is that possible? You guys don't have a partner Digimon!"  
  
A young man stepped out from behind a tree. "You don't have to be a Digidestined or have a partner Digimon to earn crests."  
  
The Digidestined glanced at the man. "Gennai?"  
  
Gennai nodded and then turned to Ash and Chloe. "These two children were given crests for a reason. They are the ones who truly symbolize them, now one can change that. You will be facing an unknown force soon. They will help you."  
  
He gestured to Ash's golden crest; the Pokeball look-alike. "This is the Crest of Faith. It contains a powerful key to megadigivolution. The question is how to activate it. And this," he gestured to Chloe's crest which had turned to a glittering silver. "This is the Crest of Life. It has mysterious power that even I do not know about. It is only given to one who is willing to do anything to protect those dear to that person."  
  
"Use these crests wisely. They will come in use when you least expect them to." Gennai vanished.  
  
Misty stared. "Am I the only one who saw that man disappear?"  
  
"No," said Mimi.  
  
Ash and Chloe looked down at their crests. "Okay, what does this make us now? Your friends or your teammates?"  
  
Misty looked over at them. "You know guys can we go visit the Pokemon World? I really miss it a lot. It's nice here, but it's just not he same as home."  
  
Ash nodded. "We'll be back as soon as possible."  
  
TK looked worried. "Be careful!"  
  
"We will," Brock assured him.  
  
* * *  
  
After whirling around in the portal for a while, the Pokemon trainers stepped out into the Pokemon World. At first, fog covered the land but it soon cleared. However, what they saw was not what they expected at all.  
  
Misty screamed. Brock's jaw dropped open. Tracey dropped his sketchpad. "On no!" cried Chloe.  
  
"What happened to it?!" Ash yelled.  
  
* Hmmm…it seems I've got quite a predicament going on there. I'll try to get the next chapter posted soon. I've got tests all this week so I don't know. Anyway, don't worry. I won't leave you hanging like last time for long. *


	6. Chapter 6 Ultimate Destruction

Chapter 6- Ultimate Destruction 

            The Pokémon World was deserted, but that wasn't what shocked the trainers the most. Everything in Pallet Town looked bleak and gray. The houses looked like the backdrops for a world of ashes, and scorch marks littered the ground. The whole of the world gave the impression of being the remains of a fiery aftermath.

            Ash raced over to his own house. How he could tell it apart from the other gray houses, he didn't know. "Mom!" he called, darting throughout the interior of the house. "Mom! Mr. Mime! Mom! Where are you?"

            Tracey headed up to the lab, which was still smoking. "Professor? Professor!" He looked across the large spare lands that served as Professor Oak's backyard. _Huh? Where are the Pokémon?_

            Chloe glared at the stormy sky. "This may sound risky but I'm gonna go and see if the nearest city is nearly destroyed too." She threw her favorite Poké Ball, the one with the Dratini ear-shaped pins on it, into the air. "I choose you…Dragonite!" The dragon Pokémon emerged from the light and she climbed onto its back. "I'll be back in about five minutes."

            While Chloe was away, Ash came out of the house, his eyes filled with horror and…fear. Misty looked around at the town that was once so beautiful and peaceful. "Who would do something like this?" she wondered. _And ironically at the same time as when we were in the Real World. _

            Pikachu sniffed the air suspiciously. _"Pika?"_ A strange foreboding scent was in the air but from what its nose could tell, it was not a Pokémon. It sniffed again warily. 

            Chloe returned. "Viridian City looks pretty much like Pallet Town does now," she informed the others after returning Dragonite. "Oh yeah, and the Pokémon Center's demolished."

            The others groaned. "While we were in the Real World with the Digidestined, our own world was being devastated." Ash sighed in anger. "Whoever did this to the Pokémon World…if they harm one hair on my mom's head—"

            "Ash? Is that you?"

            The four trainers turned to see a boy with spiky brown hair and a purple shirt racing up to them. Ash recognized him automatically. "Gary?"

            "Gary?" Comprehension dawned on Chloe's face. A mental image of her younger self with Ash and a little brown-haired boy came to mind. "Gary _Oak_?"

            The brown-haired boy didn't even stop to confirm his identity. "Ash, what's going on here?"

"How long have you been here Gary?" Ash asked him in reply. 

"Long enough to know Pallet Town went through a lot of redecorating." Gary glanced at Tracey. "Hey, I thought you were always at the lab with my grandpa?"

Tracey suddenly looked sheepish. "Uuuhh, he's not there Gary."

"Then where is he?"

Ash scratched his head with an embarrassed look. "Eh, funny you should ask. Y'see I have no idea where he is and—"  

Gary grabbed Ash by the front of his shirt and started shaking him. "WHAT D'YA MEAN YOU HAVE NO IDEA? WERE THE HECK IS HE?!"

            "Ack…Gary…I…don't…know!" Ash sputtered as his rival shook him back and forth. 

            Misty frowned and was about to intervene but Chloe was faster. She grabbed Gary's hand and wrestled it away from Ash's shirt. "He already told you he doesn't know so don't ask him again Gary!" she snapped. "Seems you haven't changed a bit!" 

            Gary stared at her for the first time…and kept on staring. 

            "What?"

            He looked at Ash, then Chloe, and then back to Ash. "You didn't tell me you had a girlfriend Ashy boy and how did you get one _this_ good-looking to be your girl?"

            Misty looked furious. Pikachu didn't pay attention as it was still searching for the source of the strange scent. 

            Chloe and Ash groaned loudly, both blushing out of embarrassment. "I AM _NOT_ HIS GIRLFRIEND!/SHE IS _NOT_ MY GIRLFRIEND!" 

            Gary blinked. "Then who is she?"

            "You don't remember me?" asked Chloe once she recovered. "It's like I always said…Ash is better at recognizing friends than you are Gary Oak."

            That familiar phrase caused the trainer to freeze for several minutes before he sputtered, "C…Chloe?" She merely smiled. "What the heck did you DO to yourself?!"

            Her face fell. "Oh…you don't like it?"

            "No, you're beautiful but you've changed. I never knew your eyes could turn from black to blue."

            Ash grabbed his shoulder and led him away from Chloe. While he was filling Gary in on what exactly happened to Chloe and about the Digidestined, his Pokémon continued to search for the source of the strange scent. What was it? Pikachu heard a low hiss, causing it to glance upward. High above in the sky was a large, dark blue, geometrical cube. A sinister figure stuck out of the top portion of the cube, his yellow eyes leering at the Pokémon. Several metal-clawed arms flapped in the wind. 

            Pikachu panicked. _"PIKA!"_

At once, the other trainers all looked up to see the "thing." Brock's jaw dropped. "_That_ is no Pokémon!"

"No kidding!" Chloe gulped. She turned around behind them…and shrieked. "What the heck?!"

The others spun around to see another monster, this one white and somewhat bulky. He had two—mouths—on his shoulders and a red mask covered his eyes. His hands ended in sharp red claws. 

Yet another enormous monster descended from the sky. This one was smaller than the others but looked no less forbidding. He looked a red version of the Grim Reaper with glowing blue eyes and horns protruding from his head. 

"Are…are these…Digimon?" Misty quavered. Togepi gave a shrill scream and retreated into its egg. 

"WELL, WELL, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?" rumbled the geometrical cube Digimon. "THESE AREN'T THE DIGIDESTINED!"

            "No duh we aren't," Ash muttered under his breath. Misty smacked him upside the head. "Shush!" she whispered. 

            Tracey looked around at the enormous Digimon. "Who are you?" he asked in a shaky voice. 

            The red Digimon laughed from underneath his hood. "I am Daemon."

            "You can call me MaloMyotismon," added the white Digimon with the heads on his shoulders. 

            "And I am Apoclamon," finished the cube. 

            Apoclamon, Daemon, and MaloMyotismon. They were the names of Digimon that the Digidestined had defeated not too long ago. The trainers knew this because of what their friends had told them. 

            Daemon glanced at the trainers for about a minute and sighed. "These must be the ones we missed."

            _Missed? _the kids thought. _Then that means…_

"What did you do to my mom?!" demanded Ash angrily. The evil Digimon glanced at him and laughed. "Tell me! What did you do with her?!"

            "Why should we tell you?" Apoclamon shot back. 

            Ash growled and was about to rush at the Virus Digimon but Gary and Brock held him back. Misty glanced up at the surrounding evil bravely. "Why did you destroy the Pokémon World? We didn't do anything to you!"

            "We didn't expect to land in this world," hissed MaloMyotismon. "We actually intended to land in the area where the Digidestined live. But this portal that enabled to merge our data once again landed us here. We decided to make the best of things here."

            Tracey's jaw dropped. "That isn't right!"

            "When has life ever been right?" asked Daemon lazily. "Your world just happened to be unfortunately in our way. That's all. Anyway, you have the portal and whoever opened it to blame."

            The trainers' eyes expanded. They knew whom Daemon was talking about: T.K. 

            "But enough explaining things to simpletons like you," said Daemon. "Tell us where the Digidestined are!"

            "How would we know?"

            MaloMyotismon bared his sharp teeth. "We overheard you children talking earlier."

            That was enough to explain anything. The trainers, except Gary, all gritted their teeth. There was no way they were going to let these foul beings open the portal and destroy their friends. 

            "WELL? SHOW US THE LOCATION OF THE PORTAL!"

            "NEVER!" Ash yelled. 

            Apoclamon drew himself even taller than before. "Why stay silent for those who don't even trust you? Why give up your lives for them?"

            "Because we care about them," Brock answered furiously. "And they _do _trust us. It just took them longer to realize it."

            The evil Digimon chuckled. "You're either very brave…or very foolish," said Daemon. "Just like those Digi-dimwits." He formed a large fireball between his hands. "Tell us the location or you will be forced to!"

            "Try and make us!" shouted Misty. The other trainers nodded, defiant. 

            An ugly look crossed all of their foes' faces as they loomed around the kids. "YOU'VE JUST MADE THE WORSE MISTAKE OF YOUR LIVES!"

*          *          *

            Everybody except T.K. was busy lounging around Izzy's room. Well, Izzy was looking up a problem in a Calculus book but other than that, the others were just waiting for the trainers to come back.   
            "I feel so much better about them," Kari said happily. "Now at least we know what's going on."

            Tai nodded. "You're right." Inside though, his insides were writhing like snakes. Maybe it was because he was started to feel worried about Chloe. Her eyes were bright and beautiful as she looked at T.K. and her smile indicated she was sorry to go. _She really likes him. _

_            …What about you?…_

_            Chloe and I would never work out. It…it's just too soon to fall in love with another girl after Sora. _

_            …Aw, come on. You know you love her…_

_            I don't _love _Chloe! I just…oh shut up. _

_            …Come on Tai. Take a chance. Before T.K. or Ash suddenly decide to snatch her away from your sight. You don't meet a girl like her everyday. _

_            She likes _T.K.! 

            _…How do you know?…_

_            I can feel it…I can feel her feelings…somehow…I know…she loves him…_

_            …Oh well. Tough break…_

Tai jerked himself out of his deep thoughts and focused instead on what T.K. was doing on the computer. Judging by the bored expression on his face, it wasn't that interesting. 

            T.K. sighed and was about to turn off the computer but a voice rang out of one of the speakers. _"Izzy? Is that you Izzy?"_

The screen flickered for about a minute before a frightened face appeared on it. A familiar frightened face. _"TK?"_

"Chloe?" 

            Everybody stopped doing whatever they were doing and huddled around the monitor, focusing on Chloe's face. "What's going on?"

            _"T.K., I have to warn you guys. There's something wrong here in the Pokémon World. When we came back, we found everything in ruins. The trees, grass, buildings…everything!"_

"How…how did that happen?"  
            Chloe's image smiled regretfully. _"Apparently, you've got your old friends to thank for that. Recognize these names? Daemon, Apoclamon, and…wait…I almost got it…MaloMyotismon."_

An icy feeling settled in every one of the team's stomachs. _Oh no. _

            _"They came into our world via the portal that _you_ opened…at least I think. We refused to tell them how to get into your world so now we're in the middle of battle of life and death!" _Chloe's face looked worried but she spoke bravely. _"There isn't much you can do for us. If they find the portal that leads to your world, you have to be ready."_

"But you guys are back there with them!" protested Davis. "We can't leave you guys in a jam!"  
            Chloe smiled sadly at him. _"I'm afraid you'll have to."_

Ash ran by the screen. _"Listen, we don't care what happens to us. All that matters is that you're safe. If they destroy you, we're doomed…not that we're not doomed right now."_

"I can't leave you guys," said T.K. desperately. "Get out of there and come back here!"

            Chloe shook her head. _"We can't. They'll figure out your location. Just have confidence. Don't worry." _ She looked at T.K. in the eyes, the only place where they were truly safe. _"Please don't worry."_

Tai looked at her sad face. "But Chloe…what if you guys don't make it?"

            _"I'm…it doesn't really matter does it Tai?" _She was still smiling desolately. _"I mean…at least we go down fighting right?"_

A call from inside the computer caused everyone to jump. Ash grabbed Chloe's hand. _"CHLOE, MOVE!"_

Before the Digidestined could comprehend what was happening, they saw a giant wave of red light hurtling toward the screen. There was the sound of breaking glass—and then nothing. 

            "Guys? GUYS!"

*          *          *

Chloe nervously looked at what was left of her computer. Good thing Ash moved her, otherwise…_I don't even want to think about what would happen otherwise. _She shivered and tossed a Poké Ball out. "Umbreon go!"

Gary grinned sideways at her. "You have an Umbreon? So do I!" He threw out his own Poké Ball. 

"Umbreon, Shadow Ball!" they both chorused in unison. 

The two Dark Pokémon leaped to the front of their trainers and conjured huge spheres of dark energy to hurl at MaloMyotismon. They bounced harmlessly against his armor. "Heh, that tickled."

"Pikachu, use Thunder and hurry!" commanded Ash. 

Pikachu nodded. _"PIKACHUUUUUUUUUUU!!"_

All three Digimon were struck by the bolts of lightning hurtling from the sky. While they winced from paralysis, Chloe turned to Dragonite. "Use Hyper Beam!"

The colossal orange beam rocketed towards the evil Digimon. Since there was not much room to move, they had to take the attack. 

"How much more of this can we take guys?" Misty asked. 

"Uh…I dunno. I lost track of time," said Ash sheepishly. 

Brock looked at Chloe. "The Digidestined know we're here right? Did you tell them about what's going on?"

She nodded. "With any luck we'll see them again—if we live through this."

"I wouldn't count on that," said Apoclamon. His yellow eyes flashed and before the trainers could predict what was happening, an electrical cage surrounded Misty and her Pokémon, locking them in. 

"MISTY!"

She pounded on the sides of the cage, but the result only shocked her hands. "Ash, help!"

Ash raced over to her. "Pikachu, use Thun—"

"Don't be an idiot Ashy boy!" griped Gary. "If you use electricity on that cage, it's only gonna hurt her!"

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know Gary was right. Chloe commanded Dragonite to fly in and use Wing Attack, but the cage seemed invulnerable. 

"Hang on Misty," Ash called. He pulled out another Poké Ball and threw it. "Cyndaquil, use Skull Bash!"

_"Cyndaquil. Cynda…quiiiiiiiiiil!" _The tiny yellow-and-black Fire Type raced at the cage and slammed its head against it again and again. Nothing happened—except Cyndaquil got an enormous headache. 

The evil Digimon burst out laughing. "Having fun?" Daemon hissed evilly. 

Gary and Tracey glared back at the hooded monster. "Umbreon, Bite attack!" Gary commanded. 

Tracey threw out a Poké Ball. "Scyther, use Slash!"

"Pathetic humans." Daemon formed a giant spherical fireball in his hands. _"EVIL INFERNO!"_ The fireball engulfed Scyther and Umbreon, as well as Gary and Tracey. When the smoke and flames cleared, the boys and their Pokémon lay stretched out on the ground, badly scorched. 

"NO!" Chloe called upon her own Umbreon. "Use Shadow Ball!"

_"Umbreon!" _The Pokémon conjured a sphere of dark energy and hurled it at MaloMyotismon. 

MaloMyotismon flinched, but grinned. "Want to save your friends?" He fired red beams from the two mouths on his shoulders. _"CRIMSON MIST!"_

Chloe grabbed onto Umbreon's neck. _"Teleportation."_ Using her psychic power, she transported Umbreon and herself away from the attack. 

_"VIRUS GRENADE!" _ Thousands of miniscule bullet/mines rained down on Ash and Pikachu. When the smoke cleared, they were found stretched across the ground. 

Misty screamed. Brock tried to run towards his friend but succeeded instead by getting caught in a cage of his own. 

Chloe looked from MaloMyotismon, to Apoclamon, to Daemon. "I am in _so _much trouble."

_"CRIMSON MIST!"_

_"GIGA CANNON!"_

_"EVIL INFERNO!"_

She closed her eyes and muttered, _"Teleportation." _She warped away from the attacks and they smashed against the ground. _Whew! That was close. _Chloe suddenly felt her head become slightly dizzy. _Ooohh no. Not now. _

_"VIRUS GRENADE!"_

_"Teleportation." _Chloe transported herself next to the unconscious Ash and Pikachu. Her head began to throb with pain. "Umbreon…" she gasped out. "Use…Hidden Power…"

Umbreon concentrated on sending dark energy waves at all of the Mega Digimon. Keeping them distracted gave Chloe time to check on Ash's condition. "Ash…Ash…come on, wake up. Ash."

Daemon tore himself away from the numerous energy waves and managed to toss a fireball in her direction. _"EVIL INFERNO!"_

Chloe closed her eyes as she held Ash's body to her. _There is no way I'm letting them take him. Even if I have to use all of my energy. _

A voice rose above the roar of the attack. _"REFLECT!"_

Chloe's eyes shot open at the sound. The fireball bounced off a glowing blue shield held in place by tall strange cat-like being except Chloe had never seen anything look less like a cat. He had a long purple tail and what appeared to be a cord running from his head to his neck. One of his hands was holding up the shield effortlessly. 

"Who…are…you…?" she whispered hoarsely. "Are you…a Pokémon?"

He looked down at her from his position calmly. His face seemed feline but almost human as well. His violet eyes, for the moment blue, narrowed slightly. 

A cough from below indicated that Ash and Pikachu were stirring. Ash raised his head from Chloe's protective arms and goggled at the strange being. Though his vision was blurred, he could see enough. "Mew…two?"

_Mew…two? _the psychic girl thought vaguely. _What happened to Mew-one?_

The being known as Mewtwo charged up a dark energy sphere and hurled it through the Reflect shield at the Mega Digimon. _THWAM!  
            _Contact with the sphere sent all three of them flying backwards. Apoclamon grunted in pain as he glared at Mewtwo. "What sort of trickery is this?"

Finally, Mewtwo spoke. "This is no trickery; it is real."

"How dare you invade on our destruction on these diabolical human beings!" growled MaloMyotismon. 

"These diabolical humans as you call them are residents of this world," Mewtwo replied calmly. "As am I."

Daemon growled underneath his red hood. "Who are you anyway!?" he demanded angrily. 

A slight smile played across the corners of Mewtwo's mouth. "I am Mewtwo, the most powerful Pokémon ever created. Do not underestimate me."

Chloe chose this time to recall Umbreon back to its Poké Ball before looking up at Mewtwo. She forced herself to use telepathy. **_"Mewtwo…or whoever you are. You have to take us away from here. There is nothing that can be done at the moment."_**

****At the sound of her telepathic voice the Pokémon glanced down at her in surprise. he had not realized she was psychic. 

            **_"Please…at least get Ash out of here. You can't take these guys on alone. They are not from this world."_**

****Mewtwo nodded once to show he understood before his eyes once again glowed an eerie blue. Ash, Chloe, and Pikachu felt their bodies glow as well. **_"I will do as you ask. Stay close."_**

****Chloe's mouth turned up in a weak smile. **_"Thank…you…"_**

"You have no right to take them from us!" Apoclamon declared as Mewtwo hovered above the ground with Chloe, Ash, and Pikachu. 

"And you have no right to their destruction whatsoever," Mewtwo retaliated smoothly before they vanished in a flash of light. 

"Should we follow that them?" asked Apoclamon. MaloMyotismon shook his head. 

"No. They'll be back. After all, they'll want to rescue their friends won't they?" He turned around to look at Misty, Brock, Tracey, and Gary. "Now tell us the location of the portal…unless you want to die before doing so."

"I'd rather do that!" Misty spat at him. 

MaloMyotismon chuckled. "Temper, temper. Oh well, it doesn't matter. We know it anyway due to your journey back here."

Tracey's jaw dropped in shock. "But…you were spying on us?"  
            "Exactly."

"Then why did you make us fight when you knew where the entrance was all along?" Gary demanded. "Seems like a whole waste of time to me."

The evil Digimon chuckled. "To you yes. But to us, no. Your friends will return to save you and the Digidestined and they'll just be walking into a trap."

Misty gulped. _Ash, Chloe, wherever you are. Be careful you guys. You have to find a way to stop these evil creatures before they destroy the others—and us. _

End of Chapter 6 

(A/N: Yea, yea, yea! Chapter 7 won't be long now. Yea!)


	7. Chapter 7 Decisions, Decisions

Me: Finally I continue this chapter! Here we go with Chapter 7. 

Chloe: About time. 

Chapter 7- Decisions, Decisions

            _Where am I? I feel as if I've been hit by three dozen double-decker buses. That does qualify that I'm dead right? But if I'm dead, why am I still thinking?_

Tiny flickering lights rose above his eyes before fading once more in the inky blackness. The blackness seemed like an endless void with no sign of life. No sound, no company, nothing. 

            _Where am I?_

The flickering lights appeared before his eyes again, twinkling and scattering like stars. They were starting to give him a headache. 

            _"Is he safe?" _

            He heard a faint voice in the distance, somewhere outside the dark void. It was a light female voice that sounded anxious and slightly cynical. 

            _"That depends. He took several injuries." _

            The new voice that spoke was deeper and more masculine. 

_            "Yes, I know."_

The void suddenly became less dense and seemed to shine with brighter light. With great difficulty and effort, Ash Ketchum forced his eyes open.

            The first face he saw was the anxious face of his best friend Pikachu, looking at him. The little creature's large dark eyes were worried and shining with fear. 

            "Pika…chu?"

            Pikachu's face melted into that of relief. _"__Chu__."___

Another face joined the Pokémon's; Chloe's. "Oh thank goodness. I was afraid you'd never wake up again."

            Ash blinked. "Chloe…where are we?"

            "A safe place—or so that's what your feline friend tells me."

            _Huh? _With Chloe's help, Ash sat up. Underneath his body was a bed of soft grass. Across from him was a pond of flowing water, the perfect blue waves rolling gently. "Is…this…?" He remembered this place; it was the area that Mewtwo had once hidden the cloned Pokémon. "I never dreamed we'd be here again."

            Chloe stared at him. "Again? You mean, you've been to Mount Caina before?"

            Her friend nodded. Chloe blinked in disbelief. "Why didn't you tell me?"

            "I…"

            "He made a promise."   

            At the sound of his voice, both Chloe and Ash turned to look at Mewtwo. "Ash and his friends have indeed been here before. They saved my life and the lives of the cloned Pokémon. But those who would only use this place for destruction or study had their memories erased."

            Chloe stood up, her mystical eyes still locked on the Pokémon. "So why did you bring us here if I'm not supposed to know about this place?"

            "You seem to be pure of heart—just like Ash," Mewtwo replied. "Besides, you're not normal are you?"  
            The teen girl gulped and looked away. _It's okay…for all he knows; I'm just an ordinary psychic. _

Mewtwo smiled lightly at her. "For all I know, you're not."

            _Darn it! _She glared at him. "Who said you could read my mind?" she demanded. 

            "Chloe is not an ordinary psychic Mewtwo," Ash said from his spot on the floor. "She's kind of like a human you. Her powers are not born; they're created. She was used as an experiment in order to test if Pokémon and psychic human DNA could be subjected to normal human beings. It worked but…" Ash looked at Chloe's pained expression. "It hurt her a lot. So much that she finally used her destructive powers to wipe out their lives—and the lab."  

            Chloe walked over to the pond and scooped a cupful of the sparkling water into her heads. "I had no other choice. A little more and they would've killed me." She let the water slip through her fingers. "But I still wish I didn't…"

            Eager to change the subject, Ash shifted his gaze to Mewtwo. "Listen Mewtwo, thanks for helping us but we need to get back to Pallet Town—fast."

            "What's the urgency?"

            "Y'know those creatures we were fighting against? They're not Pokémon, they're Digimon. Call me crazy if you want, but it's true. We have to get back to Pallet Town because it's our fault we let them loose. They want to destroy our friends and if we don't find them and help, they'll die." Ash gave the Pokémon a pleading look. "Please, you've got to help us."

            Mewtwo gazed back into Ash's pure dark eyes, seeing the fear in them. "What is it you want me to do?"

            "We need backup support," Ash said urgently. "I don't know how many Pokémon were scared away by the Digimon but we need your power. Can't you lend us a hand? Chloe and I aren't strong enough to take them on alone."

            All the while that Ash spoke, the psychic Pokémon paced up and down, his face pursed in a serious expression. Finally, he looked up. "All right. There seems to be two worlds on the line here—"

            "No duh," Chloe muttered under her breath. Ash scowled at her. 

            "—and you'll need as much support as can be given," Mewtwo continued, ignoring her. "I suggest you rest up on your strength here and then seek out those Pokémon that will help you put a stop to this disorder. I will help you of course," he added seeing the startled expression on Ash's face. 

            Ash's face melted into relief. Chloe smiled. "Thanks Mewtwo."

*          *          *

            "Anybody up for Scrabble?" Izzy asked in a dull voice. 

            None of his friends answered. Sora was staring vaguely out the window with Mimi. Matt was sitting on the floor across from Davis and Ken. Cody leaned against the computer monitor next to Izzy while Tai sat backwards on a chair. Joe and Yolei were trying to have a forced conversation but to no avail. Kari was pacing around and around the room. T.K. was absent. 

            After five minutes, Davis sighed. "Look guys, it's not good to think the worst. They should be fine…I hope."

            "You're not helping Davis," Tai muttered. 

            "Sorry."

            There were a few more minutes of silence before, "Has anyone seen T.K.?" That was Sora. 

            "He went outside soon after we received that message from Chloe," Matt answered her. "Said he needed to think."

            Yolei sighed. "Poor T.K. This is a lot harder on him than the rest of us put together."

            Kari stopped pacing around and edged towards the door. When no one made a move to stop her, she proceeded out the door, down the stairs of the apartment, and out onto the sidewalk. There, she found T.K. sitting on a wooden bench, lost in thought. 

            "T.K.?"

            He looked up at her, his blue eyes surprised. "K-Kari? What are you doing out here?"

            "I just wanted to see if you were okay," she answered softly, sitting down next to him. "I know you're really worried about the Pokémon trainers."

            He nodded. "They…shouldn't have gone…but I let them go…it's all my fault…I should've stopped them."

            Kari placed a delicate hand on his shoulder. "It was _not_ your fault T.K. They wanted to go."

            T.K. didn't look entirely convinced. "Chloe and the others could be dead for all we know. I just wish…"

            Kari sighed and removed her hand from his shoulder. His emphasis on Chloe's name caused her to think differently. She bit her lip and then looked down at the ground. "So…"

            "Yeah."

            The silence was starting to unnerve them. Either one of them should say something or move on with life. 

            "T.K.?"

            "Yes Kari?"

            "Wellll…"

            "I…"

            They lifted their eyes at the same time and blurted out, "I'm sorry!" Both stared at each other and blinked. "You are?"

            Kari blushed slightly and focused on the designs on the wooden bench. "You were right about the trainers. They're practically the best friends we could ever wish for. I'm just sorry I didn't listen to you."

            T.K. shook his head. "No, I shouldn't have been so quick to judge you. You didn't deserve that." He took her hand, perceiving its warmth. "Friends?"

            _I want us to be more than that, _Kari thought. But even as she tried to imagine it, a dark-haired girl with blue eyes kept appearing beside T.K. instead of herself. "Friends."

            T.K. smiled. "That's great." _I wish she'd be more than just a friend. If only she knew. _

*          *          *

            "I think I've found a way to help us recruit some Pokémon," Chloe told Ash and Mewtwo back in Pallet Town. 

            Ash raised an eyebrow. "And that is…?"  
            Chloe smiled. "This."

            With flourish, she pulled her precious ocarina from her pocket and placed it to her lips. Closing her eyes, she placed the instrument to her lips and began to play a haunting beautiful song: Lugia's Song. 

(Play: The Legend Comes to Life)

            From the waters, the skies, and even the areas behind them, Pokémon emerged from their hiding places, drawn towards the hypnotic melody that beckoned them. The surface of the ocean rippled as a towering creature arose from the depths. The being stretched its wings, the smooth white body glistening and sparkling. Blue markings line the back and around the eyes. 

            Chloe opened her eyes and nearly dropped the ocarina. "Lu…Lugia…"

            Ash's eyes expanded. "You came."

            Mewtwo said nothing but his eyes narrowed slightly. 

            Lugia's dark eyes poured into Ash's before his psychic powers allowed him to speak. "Chosen One." He turned his head to view Chloe. "My song."

            "Lugia, I had to use your song to call the other Pokémon," she told him. "It was the only way they'd listen."

            "I am not here to reprimand you child," said Lugia. "I only wanted to see the bearer of my song."

            Chloe looked a little embarrassed, but Ash's face broke into a wide grin. "It's good you're here Lugia. Let me fill you in on what we're doing."

*          *          *

            A light chill ran up Kari's spine. Shivering, she moved her hands up and down her arms. 

            T.K. glanced at Kari. "What is it?"

            "Something's coming…darkness…I can feel it."

            "Wha—?" 

            _BOOM!_

Before T.K. could say anymore, a shuddering sound broke through the silence. Kari grabbed onto him. "What was that?"

            "I…I…don't know."

            The Digidestined poured out of the apartment building. "What was that sound?" asked Ken. 

            Izzy pulled out his famous laptop. "My computer's telling me that something's happening in the center of Odaiba. We'd better get down there."

            The others nodded. Izzy used the computer to bring their Digimon partners to the Real World. "What's up Davish?" asked Veemon. 

            "Yeah, why'd you ask us back so early?" Agumon added. 

            "Something's wrong…" T.K. said, the blood suddenly draining from his face. "And I think I know what it is."

(A/N: Well there's Chapter 7. I'll try to post 8 tomorrow or the day after at the latest. Promise!)  
  



	8. Chapter 8 Ash Comes Through

Me: I am really starting to hurry on these chapters. Let's see…I don't own Digimon or Pokémon and I'm changing some of the ages of these kids. T.K., Kari, and Davis are thirteen and Ash is twelve (not ten). Everybody else will upgrade one year, including Chloe so she'll be fifteen instead of fourteen. Oh yes, this chapter will be longer than the others due to some…moments. 

Chloe: Moments?

T.K.: Moments?

Me: Yes, moments. Slight Takari in this chapter (not a whole lot like last chapter), slight Taloe (TK/ Chloe and that's why), and some Tailoe (Tai/Chloe. Oh yeah, don't forget a little Ash/Misty too. 

Chloe: (smirks) Did you make those up yourself?

Me: Yes, and I'm not answering any more questions you two come up with now so let's get on with the fic. 

Chapter 8- Ash Comes Through

            "Ash, do you know how to open the portal to the Real World," Chloe asked her friend. 

            "Uuuuhhh…no."

            She smacked her forehead hard with one hand. "Oh that's lovely. How are we gonna get back there if we don't even know how."

            "Look, all I know is that T.K. used his Digivice to open up that portal," Ash told her. "But since we're pretty much Digivice-less, I don't think we could do the same right?"

            "No duh Ketchum," she replied sarcastically. Sighing, she ran a hand impatiently through her long dark hair before looking over at Mewtwo. "I don't suppose you know how we can get through."

            Mewtwo shrugged. "Don't think so. Besides, I believe it was you two who knew how to get through."

            "We know the location, just not the way in," Ash explained. He exhaled slowly, casting a glance at Pikachu, Mewtwo, Lugia, and the other Pokémon surrounding them. "So much for a rescue mission."

            Chloe nodded and flopped down next to him, chin resting on her knees. 

            "Y'know twerp, that's the kind of attitude we wished you adopted years ago. Then maybe we would've been more successful in capturing Pikachu."

            Both trainers (plus Pikachu, Lugia, and Mewtwo) turned to see the infamous (and annoying) Team Rocket peering at him from behind Ash's own house. 

            "What do you losers want?" Chloe asked coldly. 

"Bite your tongue kiddo," said Meowth coolly. "We're not here to steal your Pokémon."

"First time for everything," Ash muttered. 

            "Cool it," Jessie snapped. "We don't want the world destroyed any more than you kids do. So we'll give you a hand."

            Ash and Chloe bit back groans. Usually Team Rocket never gave really good advice and when they tried to help, things almost always went for the worse. 

            "What is it?" Ash asked finally. 

            James smiled gleefully. "We know how to open up the portal into that parallel world those big things that aren't Pokémon went into."

            The two trainers jumped up. "YOU DO?!"

            "Yes."

            "Well what are you waiting for?" Chloe demanded. "Tell us how to get in."

            Team Rocket smirked for a minute. "Weeellll…we could…for a price."

            Electricity surged from Chloe's blue eyes and a muscle pulsed in her temple. Ash noticed that and pushed her to the side. "Let me handle this," he whispered before yelling at the top of his voice, "CUT WITH THE CRAP TEAM ROCKET! WE NEED TO GET IN AND WE NEED TO GET IN _NOW!"_

The team was blasted backward by the force of his voice. Mewtwo and Lugia's eyes dilated. 

            "And I thought _I was cranky in the morning," muttered Meowth. _

*          *            *

In the center of Odaiba, the Digidestined found the majority of Japan's citizens (okay, maybe not the majority of Japan's citizens but a lot of people still) in absolute pandemonium. Men, women, and children were running away from the exact same battle site that the kids had fought against VenomMyotismon four years earlier. 

            "It's like déjà vu," said Joe. No one disagreed. 

            In the midst of the humans, Apoclamon rose above the ground shooting Virus Grenades at innocent bystanders. Daemon, looking forbidding and serious, scanned the crowds; no doubt searching for them. 

            "I think it's time we put a stop to this menace to society," Tai commented firmly. "Everybody ready?"

            The Digidestined nodded once along with their Digimon. 

Agumon Warp-digivolve toooo…WARGREYMON!

Gabumon digivolve toooo…GARURUMON! 

Garurumon digivolve toooo…WERGARURUMON!

Biyomon digivolve toooo…BIRDRAMON!

Birdramon digivolve toooo…GARUDAMON!

Tentomon digivolve toooo… KABUTARIMON!

Kabutarimon digivolve toooo…MEGAKABUTARIMON!

Palmon digivolve toooo…TOGEMON!

Togemon digivolve toooo…LILLYMON!

Gomamon digivolve toooo…IKAKUMON!

Ikakumon digivolve toooo…ZUDOMON!

Veemon digivolve toooo…EXVEEMON!

Wormmon digivolve toooo…STINGMON!

Exveemon! 

Stingmon! 

DNA digivolve toooo…PAILDRAMON!

Hawkmon digivolve toooo…AQUILLAMON!

Aquillamon! 

Gatomon!

DNA digivolve toooo…SYLPHIMON!

Armadillomon digivolve toooo…ANKYLOMON!

Patamon digivolve toooo…ANGEMON!

Ankylomon! 

Angemon! 

DNA digivolve toooo…SHAKKOUMON! 

            "Got get 'em guys!" Davis shouted eagerly. 

            T.K. stood back, strangely hesitant. Unlike the others, he wasn't so sure they should be fighting at this moment. _Why?_

Kari glanced at him. "Are you okay?" 

            He nodded, trying to clear his head. 

            Not even hesitating for a second, the Digimon all shot their main attacks. 

_"TERRA FORCE!"_

_"WOLF CLAW!"_

_"WING BLADE!"_

_"HORN BUSTER!"_

_"FLOWER…CANNON!" _

_"VULCAN'S HAMMER!"_

_"DESPERADO BLASTER!"_

_"STATIC FORCE!"_

_"JUSTICE BEAM!"_

            At first, it seemed as if they were effective since the smoke and dust covered the enemy from sight. As it turned out, the attacks _were_ effective but not strong enough. MaloMyotismon grinned. _"SCREAMING DARKNESS!"_

A fierce gale of black wind soared over the Digimon, blowing them backward. 

            _"EVIL INFERNO!" _ cried Daemon, tossing an enormous ball of flames at them. 

            WarGreymon leaped to his feet. _"TERRA FORCE!"  Using his own ball of energy and light, he countered the ball of fire. _

            _"VIRUS GRENADE!" _Apoclamon roared, sending his usual shower of bullet laden mines. 

            _"WING BLADE!" _Garudamon charged up her flaming wings and sent the phoenix-shaped blaze at them. The phoenix wiped every one of them out. 

             _"WOLF CLAW!"_

_            "FLOWER…CANNON!" _

_            "VULCAN'S HAMMER!"_

MaloMyotismon still had that playful sneer across his masked face. He fired the beams of red light at the Digimon. _"CRIMSON MIST!"_

The red light engulfed every single one of the Digimon. When the brilliance cleared, only Paildramon, Syllphimon, WarGreymon, and Shakkoumon were left standing. The others had de-digivolved back into Rookies. 

            "The HECK?!" Yolei shrieked. 

            "What's going on!" Matt exclaimed. 

            MaloMyotismon laughed in an evil way. "You foolish Digimon! Did you think you could simply defeat all of us just by using the same attacks you used against us last time?"

            Tai's jaw dropped. _No…this can't be happening!_

Mimi glared at the evil Digimon. "Why can't you just leave us alone? You're not going to gain anything!"

            "Careful," hissed Daemon. "Or do you want your friends alive or not?"

            More than three dozen electrical, spherical, cages emerged out of thin air. The Digidestined's mouths all dropped in shock at what they saw inside them. There was Delia Ketchum, Professor Samuel Oak, and what appeared to be other citizens of the Kanto all trapped and struggling to escape. They could see (and hear) Misty shouting, "Let me out of here! I'm warning you!" and Brock, Tracey, and a brown-haired boy pounding on the sides.

            _Wait a minute,_ thought T.K. in alarm. _Why are there only Misty, Brock, and Tracey. What happened to…?_

"Where are Ash and Chloe?" Sora demanded. 

            "Oh yes, your other friends." Daemon looked disgusted. "They put up a rather good fight trying to protect you before some creature rescued them. But they'll be back."

            Kari glared at the demon. "You had no right to attack their world! They didn't do anything to you!"

            "Yeah!" Cody agreed. 

            Apoclamon narrowed his eyes even further. "Why can't you just make things simple and let us destroy you already. Does it always have to be a big production?" He leered at the Digidestined. _"RIVER OF POWEEEEEEER!" he roared and one of the claws on his geometrical cube shot a large blue beam.  _

            The other kids watched in alarm, the beam reflecting in their fearful eyes. 

            _"AEROBLAAAAAAAAST!"  
            _An even larger colorful beam struck the attack and destroyed it. The Digidestined and their partners looked up to the sky in surprise. A large white bird-like creature floated above them, its smooth body glistening. Sitting on top of the creature's back was…

            "ASH!" they chorused in unison. "You're back!"

            Everybody's eyes widened with joy—including his mom's though you wouldn't know that coming from her. "ASH KETCHUM, YOU GET DOWN HERE THIS MINUTE BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!"

            Ash laughed. "What, did you guys think we'd leave you?"

            "We'd never leave you," said another voice. Turning, the Digidestined and the citizens of the Kanto region saw Chloe floating down in front of the bird next to a lavender feline. "Ash and I did think you needed some help though, so we enlisted the aid of Lugia," she gestured to the bird. "And Mewtwo." She smiled at the being next to her. 

            "You think you can defeat us with your pathetic friends?" snarled MaloMyotismon. 

            Ash glared at him. "Listen, Pokémon rely on the strength within their own hearts to win, not human beings. We can take on you guys no problem."

            "Oh really? _CRIMSON MIST!"_

"Stay back," Mewtwo ordered Chloe. He quickly teleported around the blasts of red light and fired a dark sphere at MaloMyotismon. The large Digimon couldn't maneuver as quickly as Mewtwo and had to take the attack. 

            _"EVIL INFERNO!"_

Mewtwo was too busy battling MaloMyotismon to notice the fireball coming. Quickly, Lugia surged forward. _"AEROBLAAAAAAST!"_

The colorful beam went right through the fireball and struck Daemon before he had a chance to react. The fireball, instead of hitting Mewtwo, landed against the ground; digging up cement and concrete. 

            Ash got off of Lugia in order to stay out of the fight and ran over to the electrical barriers confining his teammates. "Miss me?" he asked Misty mischievously. 

            She glared at him but her mouth turned up in a smile. "Like heck I missed you!" 

            Ash looked slightly worried. "We still don't know how to get you out but can you sit tight?"

            Brock and Tracey nodded. "Give them a beating from us Ashy boy," said Gary smiling. 

            "Don't get yourself killed," Misty warned him. 

            "I won't," he replied with a confident smirk…but was rendered speechless when she grasped his neck through the holes in the barrier and pulled him close. Giving him a quick peck on the cheek, she let go again. 

            Chloe grinned. "Ash and Misty sittin' in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes—!"

            "CHLOE!" they yelled, blushing furiously. "KNOCK IT OFF!"

            "Why should I?"

            "Ash! Chloe!" 

            At the sound of T.K.'s voice, the two trainers ran up to their Digidestined friends. Chloe hugged T.K. quickly, but just for a minute. When she pulled away, they looked at each other in the eyes. "I'm glad you're okay T.K."

            "I'm just happy you're alive."

            Tai noticed this but chose to ignore it…mainly due to the fact that Apoclamon was leering at them from above. "Uuuhh, guys?"

            _"GIGA CANNON!"_

"Paildramon you have to digivolve!" yelled Ken and Davis at the same time. 

Paildramon Mega digivolve toooo…

IMPERIALDRAMON!

            _"POSITRON LASEEEEEEER!" _

            Two beams of light shot from Apoclamon's claws at the same time as a colossal beam of light shot from Imperialdramon's cannon. Both beams collided and created a large explosion. The force of it blew the Digidestined backwards. 

            _There has to be a way to get rid of these guys—for good! _Tai thought. _Something. _

            Apoclamon noticed two slender chains gleaming around Ash and Chloe's necks. _Hmph, crests. Well, we'll dispose of them._ Using four pairs of clawed hands, he reached out and grabbed the pair. 

            "Hey, what the—!" As they struggled to free themselves, The clawed hands grabbed onto their crests and yanked. 

            "AGH!" 

            "Ash! Chloe!" T.K. and Kari ran over to them, pulling them away from the clawed hands. The two grasped onto their necks, massaging them. 

            Ash exhaled slowly. "He…he took…" he gasped. "…our crests."

            The two trainers watched in horror as the glittering crests were crushed right in front of their eyes. "No…"

            "MOVE IT!" yelled Matt, pointing at Apoclamon reaching down at them again. 

            Shakkoumon reached out with his large claws and grabbed onto Apoclamon's body, and pushed him away from the kids. "Move kids!"

            "Right!"

            _"VIRUS GRENADE!"_

_            "KACHINA BOMBS!"  
            _While the attacks canceled each other out, the others looked at one another desperately. "Any ideas at the moment?" Sora asked Izzy nervously. 

            "None whatsoever…at least not yet." He looked at the feuding Digimon and Pokémon. "According to Digimon standards, Lugia and Mewtwo should be around the Mega Level if they were Digimon. Their power is extraordinary but I don't know how long they'll be able to keep up the fighting."

            Mewtwo floated past them, using his shield to block MaloMyotismon's Screaming Darkness. Across from them, Lugia aimed a Hyper Beam at Daemon who sunk below the ground to avoid being hit. Right in front, Apoclamon was doing battle with Shakkoumon, Imperialdramon, and Syllphimon. 

            _"RIVER OF POWEEEEEEEER!" _ The blue beam caught Syllphimon and Shakkoumon off guard. _"CRIMSON LIGHTNING!"_

The red energy whip slashed against the two Ultimates, causing them to revert back into their original Rookie forms. With nothing to hold them, they fell to earth. 

            Chloe raced up and used her telekinetic powers to slow down their fall. Unfortunately, Apoclamon noticed her running away from the others. _"GIGA CANNON!" _

"Ack!"

            "Chloe, move!" Tai burst from the group and tackled her, sending her to the ground. She squirmed slightly but he kept her pinned. "WarGreymon!"

            _"TERRA FOOOOORCE!" _WarGreymon transformed into a spinning tornado and used his large claws to dig through the beam and at Apoclamon. 

            When the smoke and dust had cleared, Tai raised his head himself up onto the palms of his hands. "Are you okay?"

            "I th-think so." She turned herself over which was a big mistake. She was on her elbows and staring into his eyes, light reflecting in her beautiful face. His hands were pressed against the ground, his body shielding hers from the attack. "Aaaahh....Tai?"

            Tai gulped, suddenly realizing exactly the position they were in and what they exactly looked like. 

            "WAAAAAHHH!!"

            Tai scrambled to his feet, pulling Chloe up with him. Both of their faces were blooming with color. Across from them, T.K. couldn't help but grin. _Well isn't this a cute sight. _

"Sorry about that," Tai stammered. 

            Chloe looked up at him. Though tall, the top of her dark head came up to his eyes. "It's…fine," she said breathlessly. She blinked, her long lashes fluttering against her cheeks. _He's…really…very cute. Good God, don't tell me I just thought that nauseating thought._ "Ummm…we should get back to the others." __

            "Oh. Yeah." _Better not say anything. Good God, I hope T.K. didn't see that otherwise the heavens will fall. _

            Meanwhile, Lugia and Mewtwo had stopped their fighting and were now guarding the two teams plus the innocent civilians in the vicinity. In the crowd of people, Nancy Takaishi and Hiroaki Ishida were scanning for their sons. 

            Apoclamon, Daemon, and MaloMyotismon leered at the Digidestined and the Pokémon trainers, as well as the Digimon, Mewtwo, and Lugia. "Did you really think that you'd be able to defeat us? We're far from being finished."

            Ash glowered at them, his dark eyes flashing. "We won't give up…not as long as we have each other!"

            As if something heard him, his chest began to glow golden and the symbol of the Crest of Faith appeared over his heart. The others turned to stare at him in shock. Ash himself looked stunned. "Was…was it something I said?"

            T.K. was staring at his friend in absolute shock. _Amazing…his crest is still with him…just like ours. _

As for Chloe, she was beyond words. "Ho…how…on…what…on…earth?"

            Something in Ash's head seemed to be telling him what to do. _The Crest of Faith holds a powerful key to Mega Digivolution but the question is how to activate it. Okay…let's have a little faith. He forced himself to think and a dazzling golden light flew from him. _Crest of Faith…give whomever I choose…the power…to shine your light…and use my strength…to win!__

As one, most of the Digimon erupted with golden light. 

Patamon Warp-digivolve toooo…SEREPHIMON!

Gatomon Warp-digivolve toooo…MAGNADRAMON!

Gabumon Warp-digivolve toooo…METALGARURUMON!

Biyomon Warp-digivolve toooo…PHOENIXMON!

Tentomon Warp-digivolve toooo…HERCULESKABUTARIMON!

Palmon Warp-digivolve toooo…ROSEMON!

Gomamon Warp-digivolve toooo…PLECIOMON!

            The Digidestined stared in amazement at their partners. Patamon was now a golden angel with ten wings, Gatomon was a large flying furry dragon, Biyomon had changed to a large winged flaming bird, Gabumon was his traditional metal wolf with missiles, Tentomon was now a large bronze-yellow insect with two large pincers on his head, Palmon had changed into a beautiful flowered woman with a thorny whip, and Gomamon had become a plesiosaurus with sharp teeth. 

            "I did that?" Ash exclaimed before a smile cut across his face. "Oh yeah! Go Ash! Go Ash!"

            Cody blinked in awe. "It was the power from your crest, just like Gennai told us."

            The Mega Digimon glared at their enemies. "Leave this world or you will regret it!"

            "We came to destroy, not to talk!" 

            "Lugia, get in there and show them what you got!" Ash called firmly. Lugia bowed his large head. 

            "You too Mewtwo!" added Chloe firmly. 

            T.K. gazed at the Digimon and Pokémon, fighting together as one to stop the evil. The battle might take hours, days, months, but neither side was showing any signs of defeat. What could happen to their world if the fighting didn't stop? They would all end up…destroyed? _What can I do? I know I'm supposed to do something. But what can I do? It's like…none of this is supposed to exist. _

            Unbeknownst to T.K. his heart began to glow.  

A/N: That about covers this chapter. Next chapter is going to be a little longer than this one but it'll be the conclusion of the fighting. That's it! 


	9. Chapter 9 Chloe's Crest of Life

Me: I don't own Digimon or Pokémon. 

Chloe: We're glad you don't. 

Me: And…that's all I have to say. BTW, this chappie will have quite a bit of Takloe and it might confuse you on my couples. Don't worry about it; Chloe and T.K. will explain it. 

T.K.: Uh, we will?

Me: Yes you will. Oh yeah, some Takari and slight Tailoe (not a whole lot due to the Takloe) AAMR will be in her but not a whole lot. Let's see, oh and a little Koumi. I think that just about covers it all. Aaaaaaand, let's go!

Chapter 9- Chloe's Crest of Life

            Mewtwo threw a dark sphere at MaloMyotismon. Lugia followed with an Aeroblast from his mouth. The evil Digimon leered wickedly as the attacks slammed against them. "Was that supposed to hurt? _SCREAMING DARKNESS!"_

"No, but this should!" MetalGarurumon fought against the powerful wind current and launched a missile from his chest. _"GIGA MISSILE!"_

_            "STARLIGHT EXPLOSION!" _screeched Phoenixmon, sending brilliant flames at MaloMyotismon. 

            _"TERRA FOOOOOOORCE!" _The glowing energy ball flew from WarGreymon's large claws. 

            Not far away, Daemon and Apoclamon were doing battle with the other Megas. _"EVIL INFERNO!" _The giant fireball threatened to explode on impact as Daemon hurled it at Serephimon and Magnadramon.

            _"STRIKE OF THE SEVEN STARS!" _Serephimon cried as he formed seven orbs between his hands, which dashed at the exploding fireball. 

            _"DRAGON FIRE!" _Magnadramon shot a jet of flames from her mouth, absorbing the intense fireball in them and using it to her advantage. 

            Apoclamon changed one of his claws into the head of MetalSeadramon. _"RIVER OF POWEEEEEEER!"_

HerculesKabutarimon countered the blue beam with his own major attack. _"MEGA ELECTRO SHOCKER!"_

Rosemon used her thorn whip to secure Apoclamon in position. "You aren't going anywhere."

            _"WATER TAIL BLASTER!" _cried Pleciomon and towers of water emerged to properly soak the Ultimate. 

            Despite these temporary reprieves, it was impossible to tell who was winning. 

            "How long will this go on?" Kari wondered. 

*          *            *

            Elsewhere, T.K. watched his crest glow. He stared at it. Hope. There was still hope. He could still stop this horrendous battle and destroy the darkness. All he had to was believe. Again, he looked at the war raging between the Digimon and the two Pokémon. _This was never supposed to exist…because the portal was never supposed to exist! If I didn't open the portal to the world of Pokémon, this fight wouldn't be going on right now. _He cursed himself for being so foolish but his eyes landed on Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, Pikachu, and Chloe. Light played off of their determined faces. 

            _If I didn't open up that portal, I never would've met them. I never would've seen what great friends they are or how loyal their Pokémon can be. I never would have found a world where humans and creatures work and live in peace; so unlike our own. Ash and Chloe wouldn't have gotten their crests. Our worlds wouldn't be in danger…but we wouldn't be friends either. _

            T.K.'s whole body began to glow with radiant white light, bright as the sun. He knew his true purpose in this fight. He had to decide. _I have to use my body to seal off the portal and prevent this from ever happening. But what good would that do if I never see the trainers again? _He looked at his dear friends. _I would never see Ash and his smiling face, Misty and her quick temper, Brock and his girl-craziness, Tracey and his amazing sketches, Pikachu and its cheerfulness. _His blue eyes zeroed in on Chloe. _And I would never see Chloe…and her unique abilities…her compassionate nature…and the strange feeling she sets in my heart. _

            He knew what the pleasurable feeling was. Love. There was no other word for it. In such a short amount of time, he had grown to love the beautiful headstrong girl. _But it's not the love of a lover…it's not the same…I feel no passion or attraction…well okay, I do feel attraction…but I don't feel desire like I do for Kari. So what is it? What is this strange feeling?_

T.K. shook his head, trying to clear his brain. "I need to give myself up. It's the only way to save us all." Without another word, he slowly turned to gaze upon the people he about so much. His mother and father and brother, Patamon and the other good Digimon, Pikachu and the Pokémon, Chloe and Ash and the rest of the trainers, Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak, and the Digidestined. _There's no turning back now. _

            "T.K.? He­­_llo? _Anyone in there?"

            The blond boy gave a gasp and shifted his gaze to the front of him. Chloe had teleported over to his side only seconds earlier. Her dark hair flowed around her but her face was a mask of determination. T.K. could see her eyes however, were holding fear. 

            "What's going on?" she asked him, her voice worried. 

            "I have to seal it," he replied in a monotone voice. 

            She blinked. "Huh?"

            "The portal must be sealed," he went on. "I have to give myself up in exchange for the sealing of the portal. It's the only way."

            Chloe shook her head. "T.K. that's not going to work. You can't seal the portal with your body. If you do, the evil Digimon won't leave your world, they'll stay. Our world won't heal either and who knows what chaos could be going on back there. There's nothing you can do."

            T.K. flinched. Reluctantly, he had to admit the girl was right—but not quite. "I can use the Crest of Hope to destroy the darkness. You can't have light without hope guiding it and light is the enemy of the darkness. Plus, you may not know this Chloe but I can represent every crest the others possess, plus yours and Ash's." 

            Chloe's jaw dropped but no sound came out. "But the one I represent the most is Hope," he continued. "So with the power of the crests of Courage, Friendship, Love, Sincerity, Knowledge, Reliability, Miracles, Light, Kindness, Faith, and Life; I will defeat them."

            "You'll kill yourself T.K.," she retorted, her eyes glimmering. "Didn't you ever think of that?" 

            "That's the plan."

            "No, that's _not_ the plan. I can't let you sacrifice yourself. You've still got dreams—just like the rest of us!"

            He shook his head. "This is the only way."

            "This is _not _the only way. It can't be."

            "Don't argue with me! What do you know about sacrifices and seals?"

            _WHAP! _Chloe's hand lashed and connected with the side of his face. He blinked and held his own hand up to the area where she'd hit him. 

            "F.Y.I genius, I know plenty about sacrifices _and _seals. Don't you remember what I had to give up just to stay sane and human in my life?" she asked, tears dropping from her face. "You…you…how can you just stand here and talk about this stuff, as if it's no big deal? It may not mean a lot to you T.K. but what about Matt and your parents? What about your partner? What about Kari?" She refused to wipe the tears away. "It probably doesn't matter to you if you die or not T.K., but it matters to ME!" 

             T.K. moved closer to her, his heart feeling the pain she was undoubtedly feeling right now. "Chloe…everything will be all right."

            "Yeah, sure," she replied sarcastically but her bottom lip trembled. "You're my friend…always have been since we first met. What makes you think I'm just gonna stand back and watch you go through with this?"

            "Because you must," he whispered. "You have to."

            "No."

            "Chloe—"

            "No."

            He grasped her head, forcing her to look at him. She was nearly exactly his height. "Don't come after me. I don't want you to."

            She gazed back in his eyes, the only place where she knew she was always safe. "I…" Before he could react, she flung her arms around him, burying her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry. Be careful." Her eyes closed. 

            "I will," T.K. whispered before tilting her face to look into those deep blue orbs. "Chloe, I…"

            She leaned in and pressed her lips gently against his. At first he resisted, but the pliant mouth was too much for him. Sliding his on hers fully, he made the kiss more proper and ardent, closing his eyes as well. For some odd reason, the kiss they shared didn't have the same spark that most usual kisses had. True, it was warm and friendly, but it didn't have the usual passion or any pent-up love. It was just like…a gentle gesture. 

            After about a minute, they slowly pulled away, opening their eyes to stare at each other. Not a word was said but she nodded once. **_"Go and get them." _**

            He nodded and let go of her before turning to face to battlefield, which was starting to look precisely like a war zone. "See ya." He allowed his hand to slip away from hers as he held up his Digivice, running towards the feuding creatures. 

            Chloe watched him go, the wind blowing her hair forward. Her tears trailed and sparkled, mixing with her hair. 

            _Come back to me…_

(A/N: Sorry to interrupt at a crucial time like this but I need to point out something before you readers start jumping to conclusions. From what you can see, Chloe and T.K. seem to be in love with each other like Tai feared they would be. Well, they are NOT, no matter what hints you see)

(Chloe: Oh really?)

(A/N: Uuuuhhh…well okay, they do have something going on between them but it will take the next two sequels besides this one to figure out what it is. Like I said, I'm not putting them together no matter what you see. They just add a bit of color to the fic (and besides, I kinda like writing about them to confuse the readers)

(T.K.: (groans) Yeah, yeah, whatever. Stop interrupting!)

*          *            *

            The evil Digimon and the Digidestineds' partners eyed each other from both sides. It was a standoff. 

            "Give it up!" the evil Digimon shouted. "It's useless to win!"

            "YOU THINK OUR POWERS CAN'T STOP YOU, THINK AGAIN!"

            A colossal beam of yellow light flew at them, causing them to slam against the ground. "What!"

            T.K. hovered above the area, his Digivice out in front of him. Ignoring his friends' gasps and cries of alarm, he rocketed towards MaloMyotismon, Apoclamon, and Daemon. _I opened the portal and started this. Now I'm going to finish it! _"TAKE THIS!"

            The beam of light issuing from his Digivice and his body hit all of the Digimon at once. A huge explosion replaced them and the force of it hit the ground. Beams of light shot everywhere, covering the Digimon, Pokémon, and T.K. from all view. The evil Digimon's screams of fury and frustration rose above the peoples' cries of terror. The Digidestined looked up to see Apoclamon, MaloMyotismon, and Daemon disintegrating right before their eyes. 

            Chloe sank to the ground, unwilling to tear her eyes away from the rapid shafts of light. Near her, she could make out Kari's form being held back by Davis and Yolei. "GATOMON!" she screamed. "T.K.!"

            A hand rested on Chloe's shoulder. She turned her dazed eyes up to see Tai kneeling beside her. "Are you okay?"

            Her eyes filled with tears as she threw her arms around his waist. Tai blinked, startled. "Uh…"

            "Hold me," she whispered, burying her face in his chest. As she did, she perceived the comforting warmth of his body. "Just hold me."

            Tai, blushing faintly, complied by encircling her in his arms. Together, they watched the shrieking jets of light and the disappearance of the evil Digimon. 

            The smoke and dust soon cleared and everyone turned to look at the spot where the battle had just taken place. The electrical barriers that had held the Kanto civilians hostage had vaporized and they were just getting to their feet. "That…was intense," whispered Davis. 

            After several interminable minutes, shouts of joy and happiness soared throughout the crowd. Cries of glee arose behind them. It was their Digimon and the Pokémon. They had survived the explosion!

            "That was really cool, wasn't it?" asked Veemon excitedly. 

            "How did I digivolve all the way to Mega?" Biyomon wondered aloud. 

            "Too bad I didn't ask Kari for a snapshot," muttered Gatomon. 

            The civilians ran over to the two teams. "I'm so proud of you!" cried Mrs. Ketchum and she hugged Ash tightly. 

            "Too…much…hugging…can't breathe…"

            "Nice work there you all," Professor Oak smiled warmly at his grandson. "Gary, I didn't know you were here."

            "I'm just glad to see you again Gramps."

            Misty smacked Ash upside the head when his mother let go of him. "Ow! What was that for?" he demanded. 

            "For being such a hothead," she replied scornfully before kissing him on the cheek. "And for being a hero."

            Ash blushed heavily while Brock and Tracey laughed. The rest of the Digidestined smiled at the praise, but they were sure they didn't do much. Not really anyway. It was all the Digimon and Pokémon's work. 

            However, Kari's face was a mask of horror. "T…K…" 

            Everybody fell silent when they heard his name. All eyes turned to look at the spot where they had last seen the Digidestined of Hope. The smoke gradually cleared, revealing a lone figure on the ground. Kari raced over to him. He lay still, absolutely still. "T.K., please don't be dead!" she cried. "What would we do without you? What would _I _do without you?" Tears started to fall from her face. "Don't be dead. Please, don't be." She threw herself onto T.K.'s chest and bawled. 

            Ms. Takaishi covered her face in her hands. "Not T.K.! Please not T.K.!"

            Mr. Ishida put an arm around his ex-wife and she cried into his shoulder. Ash trembled and tears wobbled on his eyelids. Matt tried to hold it in, but a lump formed in his throat as he saw his brother lying there on the ground. _He's my brother…I always thought he made the best choices in life…but is this one right?_

His tears finally spilled over, which set off Cody. Sora and Mimi burst into tears. Yolei and Ken both hugged each other, crying quietly. Even Izzy and Davis had tears running down their faces, they just couldn't stand it seeing everyone else upset. 

            Kari sobbed and hugged T.K.'s body to her. It was still warm. "I never got to tell you…from the day we met…every day since then…you've always been a part of me." Her tears sparkled as they rained down her beautiful face. "I love you," she whispered in a choked voice. "I love you so much. So please…don't leave us!"

            Tai arrived at the site, half-dragging Chloe with him. She shook her head, trying to deny what she was seeing. She remembered her thoughts when he first left. _Come back to me…_ She sighed and pushed Tai away. _If I could have one wish, it would be to bring you back. We need you with us. _

            Her heart began to glow a glistening silver color as the symbol of Life appeared. _With the power of my heart…and the power of life…heal the one whose choice was right…and give this land…my radiant light. _

Instantly, a jet of light released from her crest symbol and poured across the light. T.K.'s body began to glow with the same gentle silver light. Chloe's diamond-like tears swirled around him, making him grow brighter and brighter. 

            Ash suddenly remembered something. A prophecy he heard long ago. _"A terrible storm rose across the land and wiped out every living creature, all but a few Pokémon. The Pokémon, moved by the death of their trainers and friends, shed tears of life that miraculously revived them all and brought peace once again." _Ash's eyes met Mewtwo's and it was clear the Pokémon knew what was at work here. "Chloe's tears…are tears of life. That's why she has the crest…because she gives life!"

            The clouds parted and sunlight shone through. It lit up T.K.'s body like a spotlight. Kari looked down at him and he began to move. A gasp went through the crowd. T.K. coughed and slowly opened his eyes, sitting up in surprise. Chloe's crest stopped glowing and she flashed him a pure smile. "Welcome back."

            Kari flung her arms around him. "T.K.! You're alive!"

            He looked around at his friends and family, putting two and two together. A small smile spread across his face. Patamon flew over and hugged him. Everyone began to cheer and shout for joy. Ms. Takaishi wept tears of relief at seeing her son alive. Tai and Matt slapped each other a high-five. Everywhere, the citizens of all three words were celebrating. 

            Ash elbowed his way over to T.K. who was just getting to his feet. He playfully slugged his arm. "You're crazy you know that? But you're a hero." He ran off again. 

            T.K. grinned. "Not really. It was no big deal."

            "No big deal?" Chloe demanded as she headed over to him. She held up her hand threateningly. "No big deal? I'll show you 'no big deal' Takeru!"

            He winced. Chloe lowered her head and hugged him fiercely. "Don't you ever do that ever again," she whispered into his ear. 

            "Hmmm, I dunno…"

            "I mean it Takeru!"

            "Okay, okay." He grinned and tilted her head so he could look at her fully. "Besides, I think you just revealed that you missed me."

            She snorted in disbelief. "Say what? I—" Her words were cut off as she looked into his eyes. She leaned against him again. "Have I ever told you that I love you?" 

            He froze, feeling the words wash over him. _She—she what?_ T.K. looked over at the others to see if they heard but everyone was too busy paying attention to other matters to notice. "You do?"

            "Of course I do," she looked at him. "Friends always do. What, you thought it meant something different?" She laughed. 

            He blinked, the kiss they shared before still fresh in his mind. "But…what about…?"

            "So I'm a little demonstrative," Chloe replied with a matter-a-fact glance. "Besides, you did notice that there was zero chemistry in that kiss."

            He nodded, frowning. "I don't get it." 

            "Neither do I," she replied, also frowning. "Oh it's not that you're a bad kisser, 'cause you're not. It's just…something's missing." With a smile on her face, Chloe took his hand and pulled him over to Kari. "Besides, I think you have someone else to look forward to. Don't ya?"

            T.K. looked at Kari and then at Chloe's shining, laughing eyes. A broad grin spread across his face. "Yeah." 

             Unfortunately, Kari and Tai had heard every word of the conversation. _He and Chloe…I knew they were bound to hook up someday,_ thought Tai to himself. _Well, I should have acted sooner. _Chloe smiled at him and he averted her gaze. _She's so happy…no wonder. _

_            I should have known T.K. didn't feel the same way about me, _Kari thought. _I just…I didn't deserve him. _

            "Kari?" 

            She looked up at T.K., into his smiling blue eyes. "Yes?"

            "Did you mean it…when you said you loved me?"

            Kari straightened her height, heedless of the fact that she was blushing. "You bet I meant it T.K. Takaishi and if you—"

            "I love you too."

            Kari stopped talking and blinked rapidly. _Did he just say…what I thought he said? But Chloe…_

**_"But he doesn't feel that way about Chloe. He loves you Kari Kamiya. You're so lucky. Heck, if I was in your shoes, I'd been happy."_**

****At the telepathic message, the younger girl looked over at Chloe. Her eyes were filled with questions. "But Chloe…you…I thought you…"

            "Yeah right. T.K.'s my kind of guy," said the psychic. "But his heart belongs to you same as mine belongs to another. T.K. and I are just friends Kari." She grinned. "Seriously, you belong with him and he with you."

            Kari looked at her for a long time before facing T.K. "T.K., what about Chloe? I thought you guys…well…can you blame me for…"

            "I know what you think but it's not like that," said T.K. "The bond between you and me is so great Kari, that nothing can break it. Not Tai, Davis, or heck even Chloe can destroy what we have…that is if you know what we have."

            She encircled his neck with her slender arms and smiled. "How could I forget it? What we have is special."

            "It always will be," he said with a grin before leaning down to kiss her. Kari met him halfway there and planted her lips firmly against his. 

            "Ew, gross!" Ash yelped from far away. 

            Misty smacked him upside the head. "You are _so _immature!"

            Chloe groaned. "Okay, it is getting _way too mushy over here." With that she left the two lovers alone and grasped Tai by the arm. He blinked at her in surprise. _

            "Uh, Chloe?"

            "I forgot to thank you for saving me back there," she whispered, her blue eyes shining at him. "So thanks a lot Tai."

            "No problem." he said with foolish look. From over Chloe's dark head, he could see T.K. breaking the kiss from Kari just in time to wink at him. _Does that mean…I still have a chance? Speaking of chances…I wonder how Davis is taking this whole thing?_

            As it turned out, the goggle-headed leader was taking it very well…Yolei, Ken, and Veemon were holding him back. 

"Uh, I have a question."  
            Everybody looked at Izzy who gestured to Mewtwo and Lugia. "What are we going to do about these two?"

            "Well there's always the option of putting them in a—"Gary began. 

            "I object to being placed inside a Poké Ball," snapped Mewtwo coldly. 

            "Hear, hear!" added Lugia. 

            Ash grinned. "They can go wherever they want until the portal opens up again."

            "Are you sure about that?" Matt asked with raised eyebrows. 

            "Hey, it's a free country." 

            As the friends laughed and cheered alongside each other, they didn't see Gennai behind them. "They truly saved the world and they did it…together." 

Me: Well that about covers it. 

Chloe: What were you playing at?

Me: What? Oh that kissing thing between you and T.K. before?

T.K: (rolls eyes) NOW she remembers!  
  


Me: Sorry about that. Kari's gonna kill me for that one. 

Tai: _Kari's _gonna kill you. What about _me?!_ How could you make the one person that I like besides Sora kiss T.K.! 

Me: GEEZ LAWEEZ! WHAT IS WRONG WITH ALL OF YOU!  
  


Chloe: Don't worry Tai. Caro and I are going to have a little talk—WITH MY FISTS!

Me: Eeep! 

T.K.: I am not getting involved. 

Me: Ummm, I'm going to Hong Kong tommorow so no new updates for the next week or two. Okay? See ya! (runs off)

Chloe/Tai: GET BACK HERE!  
  


T.K.: And that marks another eventful threat on the author's life. 

Ash: Whoop-di-do. 


	10. Chapter 10 Friends Forever

Me: I don't own Digimon or Pokémon, and "The Time Has Come" from 2.B.A. Master. Well it's come a long way but this is the final chapter. This will answer Zindakku Hirokai's question on how the trainers will get home. 

T.K.: (gasps) Caro reached the final chapter of this fic? 

Chloe: Run for your lives! It's the apocalypse!

(Everybody screams and runs around in circles)

Me: (sigh) Lots of Tailoe in this here chappie and some Ash/Chloe friendship. Here we go! 

Chapter 10- Friends Forever

            A full week had passed since the Digidestined had teamed up with the Pokémon trainers to save their worlds from ultimate destruction. Everyone was relaxed and carefree. The many civilians of Pallet Town and the Kanto Region were staying in the Odaiba for the time being since they didn't know when the portal to their world would open up again, if it ever did. This suited the kids just fine, but what they didn't know was that their moments of peace and happiness would not last. 

            T.K. lay stretched out on his bed, staring at the ceiling. There was no doubt about it. Something was going to happen today. He vaguely wondered where he received this weird way of sensing things. Maybe it was from Chloe. 

            He wasn't sure what it was that was making him uneasy but he decided to shake it off. "What could go wrong now?" he wondered aloud. "Maybe I should pay a visit to Chloe. She can read minds—well, the first few things in peoples' minds. She could just figure out what's bothering me."

            T.K. got up from the bed and walked out the door into kitchen. There he found Ash talking quietly to Pikachu. They both looked serious. "Ash?"

            "Oh hi T.K.," said the trainer. "Listen…Gennai came around a few minutes ago. He said that we need to meet in the park. Something important."

            "Okay, I'll get everyone."

*          *          *

            A few minutes later, the members of both teams gathered in Odaiba Park. They looked puzzled. "Why'd you call us to the park T.K.?" asked Kari. 

            "I asked Ash to tell him to," said Gennai who was waiting for them. "I need to tell you something serious." 

            The kids nodded. They were listening. "The portal appeared again today for some strange reason."

            Everybody blanched. "Nothing's come out of it right?" Davis asked quickly. 

            "No."

            They breathed a sigh of relief. 

            "It came because it is time for the trainers to take their leave. What I need to tell you is that the gate between your two worlds will be closed…forever." 

            The kids looked at Gennai in horror. "Forever!" cried Misty. "But you can't!"

            Gennai shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it must be done. The portal was opened by mistake and look at the danger it caused. You all were nearly killed. It is too risky to open it ever again. It's for the best that it closes."

            "But maybe…Mewtwo can—" Ash began. 

            "I know as well as Gennai that the portal is closing," said the Psychic Pokémon. He floated up to them. "There is nothing in my power that I can do to sustain the opening of a rift between worlds."

            Tracey blinked. "Then…then perhaps Lugia—"

            "I cannot do anything either young one," said the majestic bird. "We are Pokémon, not miracle workers."

            "But…" Matt said. 

            "I'm sorry," said Gennai heavily. "It's time for you to say goodbye."

            The others looked at one another. Say goodbye? It seemed utterly impossible!
    
    _I close my eyes _
    
    _And I can see _
    
    _The day we met_
    
    _Just one moment and I knew_
    
    _You're my best friend___

_'Do anything _

_For you_

               Misty sat on the edge of the beach with Sora, Yolei, and Mimi. The girls tried to avoid each others' gaze with little success. Finally, the trainer could hold her tongue no longer. "You know…I really want to thank all of you. You've…been…so nice this past week."

               Sora looked over at Misty and smiled shakily. "Your welcome. I'm sorry I seemed so suspicious of your nature before. I never knew you were doing that to protect us."

               "Oh well, you know," said Misty. She bit her lip and looked back at the girls. "I…I was afraid you guys wouldn't accept me since I was too different."

               Yolei shook her head. "No way. You're a good friend Mist. Really you are. I guess…you never realize it until it's too late."

               Mimi's eyes were shining with tears. "We're going to miss you guys _so _much!"
    
    _We've gone so far_
    
    _And done so much_
    
    _And I feel like we've always been together_
    
    _Right by my side_
    
    _Through thick and thin_
    
    _You're the part of my life_
    
    _I'll always remember_

               Brock and Tracey looked depressed under the shade of the trees of the park. The other Digidestined boys, except for Tai and T.K., sat around them. Izzy smiled at the pair. "I want to thank you for letting Joe and I discover more about Pokémon and their natural instincts and abilities. I can use what information we have to help us on understanding levels of evolution and it's all thanks to you." 

               Tracey nodded. "I want to thank _you_ for helping Professor Oak and I learn as much as we could about Digimon. Now we can research about different species of creatures."

               "When are you leaving?" asked Ken. 

               Tracey and Brock looked at each other. "Gennai said that tomorrow is the last time he's letting the portal stay open," said Brock. 

               Matt grinned. "Too bad you guys are leaving so soon. I'd have wanted you to come to one of my concerts."

               Brock's eyes got that wild look in them. "Do any girls go to your concerts?"

               "Oh yeah; loads. They keep me pretty busy."

               "Man," Davis groaned. "I hate traditions like this. Just when everything goes right, everything goes wrong."

               His teammates and partner sweatdropped. "Uh Davis, I have no idea what you just said," muttered Veemon. 

               Tracey laughed. "I'm going to miss all of this."

               "And so will we," replied Cody in a soft voice. 
    
    _The time has come_
    
    _It's for the best I know it_
    
    _Who could have guessed that you and I..._
    
    _Somehow, someday_
    
    _We'd have to say good-bye_

               T.K. stood on the sidewalk lining the beach, overlooking the horizon. If he stared closely enough, he could make out the cumulous clouds lining the glowing sun. Ash, Kari, and Chloe stood near him. "I wish…" T.K. began and then stopped.              

               "What do you wish T.K.?" asked Chloe.

               He swallowed and tried again. "I wish you guys didn't have to go. I mean…we've been through tough times and all, but we're still friends in the end. And well…it's just too painful to say goodbye."

               Kari put her arm around him. "T.K.'s right," she said. "We don't even know if we'll see each other again."

               Ash and Chloe looked at them. "We may not know what the future holds," Ash told the couple. "But we can still be friends, even _if _we never see each other again. We'll always have a place for each other in our hearts."

               Chloe nodded. "I know we're going to see each other again someday. I can feel it."

               T.K. held out his hand to them. "Let's make a pact. We'll see each other again someday and if not, we'll always keep our memories inside our hearts forever. Promise?"

               Chloe placed her hand on top of T.K.'s. Ash did the same. "Promise!"

               Tai appeared around the bend. He smiled when he saw them. "Uh…guys? I hope I'm not interrupting anything important but we need to get home."

               T.K. nodded and turned away with Ash. "Till tomorrow Chloe," he whispered. 

               "Yeah," she replied quietly. Turning around, she was surprised to find only Tai standing there. "What happened to Kari?"

               "She went on ahead," he replied. Without another word, he proceeded down the sidewalk. Chloe had no choice but to follow him. Once she caught up, she smiled at him. 

               "So," she said cheerfully. "All good things come to an end right?"

               Tai nodded, looking so uncomfortable that Chloe eyed him with concern. "Are you okay Tai? What's wrong?"

               He shrugged. "I just…we're going to miss all of you when you leave. We don't want you to…well…disappear forever. I guess you leaving is just too soon for any of us."

               Chloe smiled. "So," she asked. "Is there a special girlfriend waiting for you in your life Tai?"

               That question caught him off guard. "Uuuhh…no. No, not at all. There's…nothing like that in my life right now," he replied honestly. "Not since…Sora."

               "Oh." Chloe's cheerful face faded slightly. "Oh." She looked down at the concrete ground. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you or anything. I was just—wondering."

               "How about you?" he blurted out before he could stop himself. _Mistake! You know she still has feelings for T.K. dumbbell!_

Chloe colored a little. "Oh no. There have been some attempts, but—um—they just weren't the right people. And well—"

               Tai stopped walking and turned around. "It's T.K. isn't it?" 

               "Huh?"

               "You…you love him don't you?"

               _What? He…I…what do I feel about T.K.? _She thought for a long time. T.K. was like no other human she'd ever encountered but she didn't know. She thought she was just joking around before but… _I…I do…love him…but…there's something missing. Something's missing from my feelings towards him. _

"Well…yes," Chloe said. "But…Tai it's not like that. At least…I don't know. Something in my heart is telling me that T.K. just isn't the one for me. Besides," she smiled lightly. "He has Kari. Why would he want someone like me when he has someone like her?"

               "I…"

               "Tai…" She frowned suddenly. "Why are you asking me this?"

               "Uh…"

               Chloe raised her face at him. "Why?"

               He gulped and stared into her deep blue orbs for a long time. _I must tell her. She's going to leave. Better now than never at all._

               She looked at him questioningly. "Yes?"

               "I…" He took a deep breath before saying, "I…I love you."

               Chloe's eyes widened and her breath came out in a little whisper. "You…you what?"

               "I thought…" Tai looked away and walked a few more steps. "I…I just…I've never met anybody like you. There's no girl like you in our world, let alone our town." He looked over his shoulder at her. "I guess I was pretty jealous of T.K. whenever you talked with him. And I didn't want you to see me look uneasy whenever you looked at me." Tai paused and then continued. "It…just seems impossible now 'cause you guys are leaving." 

               Chloe blinked, her face pale. "I…I don't understand." She walked closer to him. "Why didn't you tell me before?"

               "I knew you loved T.K.," he said with a soft smile. "You looked so happy and content. And well, if you were happy then everything was okay. I just want you to be happy." _And you'd be happier with someone else. _"Anyway," Tai looked ahead and started walking. "You know the way home. Be safe."

               The dark-haired girl stared after him, watching the sun sink below the cumulous clouds. _Tai…_
    
    _You've helped me _
    
    _Find the strength inside_
    
    _And the courage _
    
    _To make my dreams come true_
    
    _How will I find _
    
    _Another friend _
    
    _Like you?_

               T.K. gazed at the spot where he had opened the portal for the first time. It seemed so long ago now. "It may not seem right, but it's for the best. I guess. I know we have to do this. Our choice doesn't matter anymore."

*             *             *

               Chloe closed her eyes, tucking the sheets around her more securely. She was trying to shroud herself in darkness, all darkness. Something would shut the light out and keep her hidden. 

               _"I…I love you."_

She had wrapped her arms around herself, shutting her eyes. She didn't understand anything, anything at all. 

               _"You looked so happy and content. And well, if you were happy then everything was okay. I just want you to be happy."_

Nothing made sense anymore, nothing. Every time she tried to think, all that she could see was Tai's face over and over. His dark brown hair, his chocolate brown eyes, his smile. She shut her own vivid blue eyes, trying not to think. 

               _I don't understand…I _like_ him…I know that. But he's just my friend…I haven't even known him that long…is he just a friend? _

She didn't have to think to know the answer. _No…no…_

               This wasn't something that she could compare to logic. It just…was. 

               Still, every time Chloe tried to sort it out, her chest would hurt as if her heart was contracting. She didn't know what to think. __

_               What am I supposed to do? I love T.K. but…Tai…what do I feel?_
    
    _Two of a kind_
    
    _That's what we are_
    
    _And it seemed _
    
    _Like we were always winning_
    
    _But as our team _
    
    _Is torn apart_
    
    _I wish we could go _
    
    _Back to the beginning_

               Today was the day. It was time to say goodbye. No one could believe it was true. Yesterday went by so quickly, hardly anyone could remember it. Only a few did. 

               T.K. stood before the citizens of Kanto and held up his D-3 to that same spot for the last time. It began to glow and a white beam shot out of it. The portal soon appeared, swirling and spinning like a spiral galaxy of white fog. T.K. stepped back and allowed the civilians to pass. One by one, they stepped up to the portal and vanished into the fog of light. Most of the people went in quickly, but others took their time. Mrs. Ketchum hugged every one of the Digidestined. "It's been wonderful getting to know you all,' she said. "Don't forget us." She disappeared into the portal. 

               Professor Oak shook hands with the Digidestined and said goodbye to each of the Digimon. "It's a pity we couldn't have time to know one another better."

               Gary smirked and followed his grandfather's lead. "I gotta admit, for kids who don't live in a world like ours, you're okay." 

               The Digimon bowed with reverence in front of Mewtwo and Lugia. "Please, there's no need for that," said the feline with a chuckle. "We're equals, all of us."

               Lugia nodded and together they flew into the portal, vanishing into the light. 

               Finally, all that were left were the Pokémon trainers. For a long time, they stared at their friends. Then they walked toward them to say goodbye. Misty began to cry as she hugged Sora, Yolei, and Mimi one last time. "I'm going to miss you!"

               The girls nodded, their tears spilling over. "We'll miss you too Misty."

               Brock shook hands with Matt, Davis, and Ken. "It's been great knowing you guys. Hey Matt, thanks for giving some tips with girls."

               "Knowing Matt, they probably won't work," Tai muttered under his breath but no one but Sora heard him. She grinned. 

               Tracey shook hands with Izzy, Joe, and Cody. "I'm glad I was able to help you find something knew to look up on." Then he smiled at Cody. "You're really smart for a kid your age. Don't give up on your abilities Cody."

               Cody grinned shyly. "Thanks Trace."

               Ash and T.K. shook hands and then hugged quickly (A/N: Guys don't usually hug). "You've been a great friend T.K. and I will never forget you," said Ash in a choked voice. 

               T.K. held back his tears and nodded. "I'll…never forget you either."

               Chloe and Kari hugged each other for a long time. "No matter what, I'll never forget you," Kari murmured tearfully. 

               "Chloe smoothed back the younger girl's hair. "Take care Kari." 

               Then she looked at T.K. They hugged, looked at each other, and hugged again as if they never wanted to let go. 

               "Don't ever forget me T.K.," she whispered as her tears brushed like scattered kisses on his cheek. 

               "I…I won't," he replied chokingly. 

               "We'll be friends forever…won't we?" 

               He pulled away slowly, nodding. "Friends…forever."

               Gennai looked at them. "It's time." 
    
    _The time has come_
    
    _It's for the best I know it_
    
    _Who could have guessed that you and I..._
    
    _Somehow, some way_
    
    _We'd have to say good-bye_

               Slowly, the Pokémon trainers backed away into the portal. They shouted last goodbyes. "Goodbye!" called Ash. 

               "Take care of yourselves!" called Misty. 

               "Don't forget us!" shouted Brock and Tracey.

               "Pikachu!" Pikachu called farewell to its Digimon friends.

               "So long Pikachu!" cried Patamon. 

               Chloe reluctantly let go of T.K.'s hand and backed away slowly. Her lapis eyes traveled over to the Digidestined leader. "Tai…"

               He looked back at her. "You…you never got an answer from me," she said, her tears still evident. "I'm sorry."

               Tai smiled shakily. "It's okay." He hesitated before saying, "I'll wait for you. No matter what it takes; I'll wait for you forever." Everybody whipped around to stare at him, confused, but T.K. smiled proudly. 

               Chloe reached out for him but thought better of it. "Good…bye…"

               The portal disappeared, taking the trainers with it. Kari heaved a sigh and tears fell from her face. "I'm going to miss them."

               T.K. put an arm around her, his eyes still focused on the portal's last place. "Me too Kari. Me too."
    
    _Somehow, today…_
    
    _…We have to say good-bye_

               Pallet Town looked about as beautiful as it did before the evil Digimon had used it as a playground. However, the light from the sun played across sad faces. Ash took a deep breath and walked forward. "Well…it's nice to be home."

               "Yeah," Misty agreed reluctantly. 

               Chloe turned around and stared at the area where the portal used to be. The tears staining her cheeks had not yet dried. "I guess," she whispered. 

               Gennai, who had come with them into the portal looked seriously at her tearstained face. "Do you really wish to be with them?"

               She looked up at him, surprised. "Y…yes."

               "Then I will let you stay with them if you wish," said Gennai. "You can live with the Digidestined…but you must think hard and be sure of your decision. Once you make it, you cannot turn back."

               Chloe nodded and her friends gasped. "Chloe, you want to leave us?" Misty demanded.

               "I…I'm not sure."

               "Go ahead."

               The dark-haired girl looked at Ash in shock. "What?"

               "They say home is wherever your heart is," he said seriously. "And it seems to me that your home isn't here anymore." He smiled. "Your heart…is telling you…where it rightfully belongs."

               "Ash…"

               "You belong there Chloe. Besides, you're already a Pokémon Master so there's nothing here for you."

               Gary gaped. "You're a WHAT?"

               The younger boy walked up to Chloe. "Of course, it's your choice Clo…I can't make the decision for you. But I think I know what you really want."

               Chloe stared back at Ash and knew that he already figured out the truth. "Will…you…"

               "I'm gonna miss you, of course I will," he said. "But if you're happy…then so am I. At least I'll know you're alive and…" he paused. "Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

               Without another thought, Chloe flung her arms around the trainer. If she could've chosen anybody to become her brother then she would choose this boy. "Thank…you…"

               Mrs. Ketchum held onto Chloe as well. "I'm going to miss you sweetie but I know my Ashy is right. Take care now."

               "Thanks Mrs. Ketchum."

               Chloe hugged Misty tightly. "Darn, with you gone, I'll be the only girl in the group again," Misty complained. 

               "Sorry."

               "Aw, it's okay. I'm used to it."

               "Y'know Mist, you really ought to tell Ash…"

               "I know."

               Chloe grinned and released her. "I'll be waiting to hear an answer."

               Brock and Tracey stood back awkwardly but Chloe hugged them anyway. "Don't think I'm not going to miss you guys too," she whispered before kissing both of them on the cheek. "Be safe."

               "We will…and you too."

               Then she looked at Gary who shrugged. "Eh, it was nice seeing you again," he said.

               She smiled and hugged him quickly. "Cya Gary." Turning, she slowly unhooked the belt that contained her Poké Balls. "Professor Oak, I want you to release my Pokémon in your lab please. Take good care of them." Her hands were trembling but she handed them over to the professor. He nodded. 

               One Poké Ball she kept and handed it to Ash. "Ash…this contains an Eevee that I've been training for a little while. I'm trusting you to continue to bring it up."

               He took the Poké Ball and nodded once. "You can count on me. Have a good life."

               "Thanks Ashy," she said with a wink before hugging him once more. "You're the best." 

               _"Pika…Pikachu." _

               Chloe picked up the tiny mouse Pokémon and cuddled it for a little while. "I'm going to miss you too. Be good." Putting it down, she faced Gennai. "I'm ready."

*             *             *

               Tai gazed at the smooth waves of the ocean, thinking. The soft wind blew back his hair and he raised his head to look at the sky. 

               _It's not that late. Glad it's summer. _He sighed to himself, contemplating his mood. 

A blinding flash of light issued forth, causing him to leap to his feet. When the light vanished, Chloe Device stood there, coughing. "Aw man, I got the wind knocked out of me," she gasped.

               "Chl-Chloe?"

               She lifted her eyes and stared at him. "Tai."

               "What—what are you doing here?"

               Chloe looked serious. "Gennai gave me a choice. I could either return to where most of life has been or I could stay here and learn to live a new life."

               "But…" Tai's jaw dropped. "Why did you choose us Chloe? Back there are people who care about you and you've been happy as a trainer. Why would you want to live here?"

               "People care about me here too," she replied, walking closer. "People like T.K. People like Kari. People like…you."

               He stared at her. 

               "I…I understand my feelings Tai," she whispered, coming even closer. "I've tried to compare them to logical thought but they just hurt. I can't breathe. That's when I realized and came to accept them for what they are." She looked into his deep brown eyes. "And I've discovered I…feel…"

               "Just like I do?" he asked. 

               She snorted. "Okay, if there's one thing I don't like, it's people taking the words right out of my mouth. So hear me out Taichi Kamiya, if you even want to consider us becoming a couple, there's some ground rules that need to be laid ou—"

               Tai leaned forward and silenced Chloe by brushing his lips against hers. Her eyes dilated but promptly fell closed before she kissed him back. It was soft, sweet, and gentle but the ardency usually felt in kisses was there. Her arms threaded around his neck while his own encircled her waist. He could feel the soft satin of her dark hair flowing over his hands. 

               A few minutes later, they pulled away breathing hard and eyes wide. "Funny that waiting forever only took a few minutes," Tai said with smile. 

               "Just shut up and kiss me."

               Tai complied and they had to break away again for breath after the second one. Chloe turned her head to gaze at the ocean, the light of the sun reflecting in her large blue eyes. "Someday we'll see them again won't we?"

               "Yeah. That gate won't stay closed forever. It has to open…someday. Even if it takes more than a decade, I know it will open again…someday."           

**THE END**

Me: Well, it's finally done. What do you guys think?

Chloe: Hmmm…it's…okay. 

Tai: I guess. 

T.K.: So what's next Caro?  
  


Me: Prepare yourselves for the sequel to this story: The Years Ahead. The sequel will be a bit darker than this lighthearted fic and it's going to have some really questionable decisions. Plus, I'm going to bring in two more OC's in and they'll have some secrets about themselves in store for the readers. 

T.K.: That's nice. 

Ash: Are we going to be in the next one?  
  


Me: Chloe will but you and the others won't really show except in memories and stuff like that. But it doesn't mean you guys won't show at all. I'm putting the first chapter of "The Years Ahead" in along with this update so whoever reads this fic should check it out. 


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